Chicken Tamale Pie

“Have you tried Pinch of Yum?” Lydia asks me for the ump-teenth time.  

“Sure, you know.  I’ve read it.  I think we were even in a Marx Foods recipe contest together…” I say, trailing off, not really certain which blog she’s mentioning.

I mean, the name is catchy and everything (“pinch of YUM” = brilliant), but, in 2013, I find it harder than ever to differentiate between food blogs and writers.  Let’s face it, there are thousands, if not HUNDREDS of thousands of food blogs on the Internet (note: according to the 2010 Technorati report, over 70 million blogs are in publication on the Internet with more being added each day).

With all of the decent photography, reliable recipes, and some interesting posts (excellent rant on this phenomenon here).  

Food blogging, photography, and programming is at an all time high (as commented on in a recent episode of Stuff Mom Never Told You), and whether I’ve tried this food blog or that food blog is really irrelevant.  If the blog isn’t part of my daily arsenal of a dozen or so writers (I tend to get stuck in my ways), I’ve probably only read one or two recipes…if even that much.

But Lydia kept pressing me.  She’d made several of Lindsay’s casseroles, cookies, and soups, and I have to say, I was a little bit jealous that some other food writer was stealing one of my best friends away with her recipes.

After a few days of checking in at Pinch of Yum, I noticed that the stories were somehow always fun, personal, casual, short, and engaging.  I grew to like Lindsay’s writing technique more and more, and you can imagine my surprise when she posted this entry that made me sit up and take notice.  How could a food blog operated by a teacher out of the Philippines be that financial stable? And does she really take all of her photos from her dining room table sort of like me?

Plus, her posts about the orphanage she works at were (are) pretty inspiring.

I had to admit, I was suddenly hooked (and not just because of the fancy income reports).  Her pictures were pretty, her stories were peppy, and there was a sense of authenticity in the blog that can rarely be found in our post-Julie & Julia Internet craze.

Did I mention I was hooked?

I decided to try one of Lindsay’s Mexican-inspired dinners.  Since I still have a fair bit of leftover turkey in the freezer from Thanksgiving, I went with Lindsay’s Tamale Pie. The concept is simple: instead of making tamales–a corn-based dish that can be wrapped and stuffed with meat or cheese–the pie layers each of the ingredients together in a serving style similar to a lasagna.  It was simple, easy and promised similar flavors as my favorite food truck item.

Pictured: my take on Lindsay’s Chicken Tamale Pie right before popping it in the oven.

For this recipe, I’ve followed Lindsay’s original pretty closely, but used a different combination of ingredients for the cornbread layer instead of a box of Jiffy mix.  The results are still a cakey and sweet cornbread, but with a more decadent homemade flare.  I followed her advice to use a “real brand” for the enchilada sauce and was kindly rewarded.

For an easy Mexican-inspired casserole any night of the week, I suggest starting with this deconstructed Tamale Pie.

Then, skip over to Lindsay’s blog for some sweet stories, delicious photos, and dinner ideas.

Have you tried Pinch of Yum yet?

Chicken Tamale Pie

Yield: 4-5 servings

Calories: 384.5 (see here for full nutritional information)

Prep Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

This recipe has been adapted from the blog Pinch of Yum (here).  Lindsay’s take on the “deconstructed tamale” includes all of the same ingredients, just inside out.  For this recipe, I’ve adjusted many of her ingredients–everything from proportions to the corn layer are a little bit different.  Here, I’ve made the cornbread layer from scratch, but see Lindsay’s for using Jiffy Mix as well as a couple of other shortcuts.

Ingredients:

—Cornbread Layer—

*1/3 cup skim milk

*1 egg, scrambled

*1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided in half

*1/4 teaspoon cayenne

*1 (14 3/4-ounce) can creamed corn

*1/2 cup corn meal

*1 teaspoon salt

*2 tablespoons sugar

*1 tablespoon baking powder

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1/2 cup flour

*2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped

—Toppings/Fillings Layer—

*1 (10-ounce) jar enchilada sauce

*2 cups pre-cooked chicken or turkey, shredded

*3/4 cup Mexican cheese

*cilantro, to garnish

1.) Preheat oven to 400F. For the cornbread layer, combine all ingredients until well mixed (use only half of the taco seasoning). Pour into a sprayed or greased down (8 or 10 inch) baking dish.

2.) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bread is barely set and golden.

3.) Meanwhile, toss the chicken (or turkey) in remaining taco seasoning.

4.) Remove cornbread from oven, poke all over with a fork, and cover in enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle with chicken and cheese and return to oven.

5.) Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.  Remove from oven, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

–Helana Brigman

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