Skillet Tamale Pie

I recently found a bunch of America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated cookbooks at the public library. It was like finding a little pot of culinary gold. After the deliciousness and ease that was skillet lasagna, I decided to try another skillet recipe.

One reason why I picked this recipe was because I didn't have to buy much. I think I only had to buy a can of diced tomatoes and a can of beans. The recipe has a cornbread part but they said you could make your own or use a mix. I chose mix.

All my prepped ingredients. I used pinto beans instead of black beans based on personal preference. I also added a can of corn because I had a bunch.

Onions get cooked in chili powder. I used a little more than 2 tablespoons because of the addition of corn and I wanted a little bit more spice.

In goes all the canned vegetables and beef. I felt weird adding the raw beef as most recipes tell you to brown the meat. Unnecessary apparently.

It gets all bubbly and delicious. I then added shredded Mexican cheese and parsley. I know parsley and cilantro aren't the same thing, but I didn't want to buy the cilantro when I already have parsley...which looks the same...

The cornbread mix gets made up according to the package. Then it gets smoothed on top of the chili-cheese-goo.

In the oven it goes and it gets nice and golden brown.

It was a delicious dish. Chili, cheese, cornbread, a yummy combination. And I only used one pan, it was an added bonus.



Skillet Tamale Pie
Filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 ounces (1 cup) cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Ground black pepper

Corn bread topping (if not using a mix):
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1. For the filling: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the ground beef, beans, and tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while preparing the topping.
3. For the corn bread topping: Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Stir in the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until uniform, then stir in the butter until just combined.
4. Smooth the filling into an even layer in the skillet. Dollop the corn bread topping evenly over the filling, then spread it into a even layer, covering the filling completely. Bake the pie until the topping is golden and has baked through completely in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before serving.