Tamale Pie

Cornbread and chilli go so well together. It just seems like a natural progression, especially when you have leftovers, to bake them together, in a single dish. This has only vague resemblances to tamales, but the cornbread topping was evocative enough of this Mexican delight that it seemed fitting to use it in naming this particular dish.

4 cups of prepared chilli, pre-heated, any regular or vegetarian chilli

1¼ cups yellow cornmeal

6 Tbsps (84gr) butter, melted

1 cup buttermilk (plain milk also works but is less flavorful)

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp+ ½ tsp baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1½ cups (about 6 oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

1. Make a recipe of chilli (or use leftovers and re-heat until piping hot).
2. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
3. For the bread topping, melt the butter and add the cornmeal and the milk. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a slow boil, then reduce to a slow simmer, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, then set aside for about 10 minutes. This will soften the texture of the meal.
4. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt.
5. Mix the dry into the wet, stirring thoroughly until the cornmeal crumbles into a fine crumb.
6. Crack in the eggs and beat to combine (if using, stir in the optional cheese). 
7. Dollop the cornbread mixture over the piping hot chilli and smooth it into an even layer with the back of a spoon. It can be quite thick, so I will often do this by hand, taking big pinches of the topping and shaping it a bit before putting it on the filling.
8. Bake until the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.