Tamale Pie (vegan)
Sometimes, you just need a really simple, filling and delicious dinner.
Ha! Sometimes??!?
Yeah, I don't have a ton of energy these days to be spending hours in the kitchen. I want to get my food prep done and get out. Especially now that the weather is warming up, I'm less interested in being stuck in a hot kitchen.
So today, I have something for you that's really simple, vegan, packed with locally-sourced ingredients. This Tamale Pie is a casserole; kinda like a Shepherd's Pie, but south of the border.
It starts with a base of ground "meat" which we incorporate Mexican spices and also some veggies. That is then topped with cornbread and then you bake the whole thing in the oven, and there you have it! Dinner! You could prep this Tamale Pie in advance and then pop it in the oven when you get home from work, and it'll take about half an hour to bake.
Let's keep it simple, right? Simple AND tasty.
Oh! And LOCAL! I've used a few local products in this recipe; of course if you don't live in Canada and you don't have access to these products, use whatever you can find. But here I've used the Mushroom Protein Crumbles from Big Mountain Foods (this is the version they sell at Costco). I like this product a lot because not only is it high in plant-based protein, but it also has quite a bit of fibre, something I'm trying to be more mindful about. It's a blank slate (much like hamburger) and one of the seasonings I used here is a new obsession for me: Tocha Hot Sauces. I'm not a big spice girly, mostly because as I age, I find I'm unable to tolerate it as much as I could when I was younger. But I love these hot sauces, because they're not just hot. They have loads of flavour and depth and they bring so much to the party. Finally, Saltspring Kitchen. Look, I've been a huge fan of this brand for a very, very long time, and I've never had a bad product from them. Everything is good, you simply can't go wrong.
I am, after all, a BC Food and Beverage Ambassador, a job I take very seriously. 🙂
Okay! On to the recipe!
Tamale Pie {Vegan}
Ingredients
For the pie base
- 2 tbsp oil
- 600 gr vegan ground beef substitute I used Big Mountain Foods Mushroom Crumble
- 1 onion chopped medium sized
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp tajin
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbps hot sauce I used Tocha
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 2 cups water or veggie broth
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup spinach
For the pie toppiing
- 1 box cornbread mix
- 1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese
- 2 tbsp jarred jalapenos I used Saltspring Kitchen's Candied Jalapeno Relish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil. When it's shimmery, add the onions and cook them down, stirring occasionally until they are transluscent in the centre, but a bit browned around the edges, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, stir and cook until it's fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Now add your veggie ground beef. Chop it up with the back of the spatula, and mix well.
- Add the spices, tomato paste and hot sauce, and stir well to mix all the spices in. Allow to cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the cornstarch and stir well to mix it in so there's no clumps.
- Add the water, half a cup at a time, stirring well each time. Allow for the water to be absorbed until there's not much left, then add more if needed. You want it to cook down to a saucy, thickened consistency.
- Add the corn, olives and spinach, and stir well. Cook till the spinach is wilted.
- You can either keep the mixture in your frying pan if it's oven safe, or if it is not, transfer it to a pie plate.
- Prepare the cornbread mix according to the package directions, and at the end, stir in the shredded vegan cheese.
- Scrape the cornbread mixture overtop of the pie base, and smooth it over so it's an even layer.
- Top with dollops of jalapenos or jalapeno jelly.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.