Ready for Tamale

If you've read much of my blog, you know how I feel about my Crock-Pot.  It's pretty much true love.  I mean, what's NOT to love?  It takes up very little space, it makes delicious meals with little effort from me, it's easy to clean, and I can leave it unsupervised for hours at a time without worrying about it!  About the only thing easier than a Crock-Pot meal (besides going out to dinner!) is a Crock-Pot meal that you can prepare a day in advance.  I'm not much of a morning person, so sometimes getting up early enough to fill the slow cooker before leaving for work in the morning is just too taxing to contemplate.  I know, I know, it only takes a couple minutes, but my pillow is a jealous mistress!
This recipe is great because I was able to put everything in the pot the night before, so all I had to do in the morning was turn it on.  Now, because I work till 5 every night, I don't want to wait very long for dinner to bake when I get home - I'm hungry!  This recipe calls for another hour of cooking after the cornbread mix is added in at the end, but I didn't want to wait that long for it, so I just baked the cornbread separately the day before and served the Crock-Pot mixture on top of it.  That worked great, but if time permits next time, I will follow the original directions because that will save the extra work of prepping the cornbread ahead.  Either way, it's delicious, and easy, and if you prepare it tonight you'll get to enjoy it tamale!
P.S. I don't know why this is called Tamale Pie, because it has very little in common with a tamale or a pie, but that's what the original source called it, so I'm stickin' with it! 

Crock-Pot Tamale Pie
link to original recipe
Prep time: 15 min  Cook time: 6 hrs
Serves 6

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained

1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 package (8-1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix (I used Jiffy brand)

2 eggs

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cumin, salt, chili powder and pepper.

Transfer to a slow cooker; stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, onions and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until heated through.

In a small bowl, combine muffin mix and eggs; spoon over meat mixture. Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro if desired.

471 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!