Tamale Pie

This is another recipe straight out of my childhood. It's not fancy by any stretch of the imagination, and it tastes a lot better than it looks. Very simple and inexpensive to make, freezes and reheats well, and everyone cleans their plate.

1 cup cornmeal

1 tsp salt

1 cup frozen or canned corn

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 fresh onion, chopped

1 jar of your favorite salsa

1 can black olives (optional)

In a skillet, brown the meat and onions. When done, add in the salsa and olives and heat through. In a medium saucepan, boil three cups water. Mix cornmeal and salt with one cup water, and dump into the boiling water (you can add a bit more water to the mixing bowl and slosh it into the pot if some of the cornmeal doesn't come out on the first try). Stirring constantly, bring back up to the boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for several minutes more till the mush thickens. Add the corn to the mush and stir till it is heated through.

In a 9X9 square casserole dish, spead half of the cornmeal mush mixture on the bottom, then all of the meat mixture, then the other half of the mush on top. Put in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or till the top has a bit of a crust on it. Serve immediately. For the dairy-tolerant, you can sprinkle some shredded cheddar on top right before serving.