One thing is for sure, we love comfort foods! Chili and cornbread fit the bill around here.
I adapted this recipe from one with a yeast bread crust for when we needed a quick dinner without time to wait for the crust to rise. It's like a pot of chili with the cornbread cooked on top. Yummy!
We use home canned tomatoes and beans that my husband canned from dried beans. He canned pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, Great Northern beans, and black-eyed peas all from the bags of dried beans you buy at the store. These are great for dinner so I don't have to remember to soak beans or put them on to cook in the mornings.
Tamale Pie
Filling
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney or pinto beans
1 can stewed tomatoes, not drained
3 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 cup water
Cornbread Topping
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour, I use whole wheat
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 425F.
Brown beef in skillet with onion and garlic. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
If you have a deep iron skillet or Dutch oven like I do, then you can cook all of this in one pot. Otherwise, transfer the mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.
For the topping, mix together dry ingredients. Pour in milk, oil, and egg. Stir well. Pour on top of filling in baking dish, making sure not to pour all of it in one spot.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the bread comes out clean.
