| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 cups masa
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) salted butter
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- One 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- Butter, for greasing the skillet
Instructions
- For the crust: Mix the masa with the broth in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a mixer, beat the shortening, butter, baking powder and salt. Add the masa mixture to the mixer bowl in 3 additions and beat until combined and soft. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
- For the filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Cook the beef, breaking up any lumps, until it is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the grease from the skillet.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and poblano to the skillet and season with the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook until just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, broth and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Add the beans and return the meat to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter. Line the skillet with a little over half of the masa mixture and press. Add the filling, then spoon the rest of the masa mixture over the top. Bake until the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 926 |
| Total Fat | 60 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 114 mg |
| Sodium | 989 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 926 |
| Total Fat | 60 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 114 mg |
| Sodium | 989 mg |
Reviews
talk about a GROSS amount shortening for a thin crust…! UGH! i could just feel it slithering down my throat…the filling was pretty tasty but would benefit from a from more seasoning……i used half a can of tomato sauce since i did not have any tonato paste and it was very moist…
The dish was very dry but good flavor. I salvaged it by removing the upper crust and adding a sauce of beef broth, tomato paste and green hot sauce.
The filling was flavorful, but the masa was thick and soggy even though is was browned from the oven. My family didn’t like it.
Fabulous recipe! Incredibly tasty with just the right amount of heat and spice. I did have to add additional corn meal to the mesa recipe as it was a bit thin, but it turned out terrific!! Will make this again.
Stick to prairie foods. This is not even close to a good tamale pie
This is a delicious meal. I can see where other reviewers may have had issues with the amount of masa mixture. I made it according to directions, but I used a larger iron skillet. If you use a 10 inch, or even a shallow 12 inch, the ratio of filling to masa may be off. I chose my Le Creuset buffet casserole, and it came out just right. I’ll be making this again.
Masa is cornmeal.
Wonderful! I love, love, love tamales, but it’s rather intimidating to make them from scratch, if you’ve never done it. So when I read this recipe, I thought it was very accessible to me. It was delicious and got rave reviews from my family. I followed it to the letter (maybe the filling cooked a little longer, but no adverse effects there). Next time, I will up the chili powder and the cumin for my husband who wanted a little spicier. Thanks for a great recipe!
Ashley H, you can use corn meal, like making cornbread, but use a little more milk so it won’t be quite so thick.
As for this recipe, I made it exactly per the recipe the first time. The second time, I didn’t put the masa on the bottom, only the top, and I made it just a little bit thinner. I also roasted my veggies instead of cooking them on the stove top. I most always fix a recipe exactly as the instructions are the first time. It’s not right to change up a recipe before making it per the instructions the first time. Once you’ve made it, you can decide if you want to make it again, and if so, what you might want/need to do differently. Just MHO
This was delicious! I’m glad I followed the advice of other reviewers and cut the masa mixture in half. I will also need to double the meat filling next time because my family and I kept eating it with Tostito chips to “check for seasoning”. I ended up with a lot less filling in the final product.