Turkey Tamale Pie
Think of tamale pie as the shepherd’s pie of the Southwest. Savory meat in a richly spiced sauce, colorful veggies, melted cheddar cheese, and my favorite part, a corn meal crust. When you cook it, the whole house will smell amazing.
Thanks to Beachbody, this tamale pie fits nicely into your healthy diet. The Beachbody culinary geniuses created a lean version using turkey instead of ground beef and reduced the sodium and cheese. This new recipe upgrades the basic corn meal crust with the addition of cheese, corn kernels and spicy jalapeños. This is a great recipe for left over turkey. I hope you’ll like it as much as I do.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 lb. raw 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 (15½-oz.) can diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste, no sugar added
- 1 Tbsp. ground chili powder
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¾ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt), divided use
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2½ cups water, hot
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
- 2 medium jalapenos, seeds and veins removed, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
Instructions
Here are your instructions:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Heat oil in a 10-inch cast iron (or ovenproof) skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onion, bell pepper, and turkey; cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and ¼ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat. Coat sides of pan with spray.
While turkey mixture is cooking, boil water in medium saucepan over high heat.
Add cornmeal; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cornmeal has thickened. Remove from heat.
Add remaining ½ tsp. salt, cheese, jalapenos (if desired), and corn; mix well. Spread evenly over turkey mixture.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and turkey mixture is bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
