Mexican food is a favorite for many. Thinking back to when I was growing up, the only Mexican dish I can remember eating was chili. I didn’t even know what a taco was until the early 1960s, when I was 20 and visited my aunt in California. We stopped by a vendor who’d set up in a small shopping area and was making tacos right on the street. I’ll never forget that first taste. I was immediately hooked!
When I returned home, there were no Mexican restaurants in this area that I was aware of, so attempted to make my own. After searching every grocery store around, I finally found one near where I worked in St. Louis that sold El Paso taco shells and brought a box home so I could make some tacos for my parents. They were less impressed, but I have to admit, those home-made tacos didn’t stack up to the authentic ones sold on the street in California.
Around that same time, I learned that you could find canned tamales just about anywhere you shopped and quickly became a big fan of those, too! If, like me, you enjoy tamales, the following recipe for Tamale Pie can’t be beat.
It’s so easy to make and is ready in no time. The recipe also makes enough for leftovers to eat another day. The leftovers can even be frozen and reheated later, retaining that great Mexican flavor!
TAMALE PIE
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans stewed, diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 (6-inch) flour tortillas
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced or chopped ripe black olives, drained
In a skillet, brown ground beef and then drain it. Add tomatoes, onion and spices. Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.
Arrange 5 tortillas in the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish, tearing tortillas as needed. Cover with half of the meat mixture, the black olives then half of the cheese, and then repeat for the next layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.
Note: I like to make a taco salad to go with this dish. So, when I brown the ground beef for the Tamale Pie, I add a little extra meat and spices and then reserve about 1 cup of it for the salad. If I have any refried beans or a can of chili with no beans, I use about 1 cup of that for the salad, too.
Then, I put a layer of tortilla chips in two salad bowls and top each one with half of the refried beans and half of the browned ground beef. Next, I add shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, followed by a few large spoonfuls of salsa. I finish the salads with shredded Mexican cheese and a few dollops of sour cream.
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