Please a Crowd For Cheap: Vegetarian Tamale Pie

I went to Natchez, Mississippi last summer and we stopped at this quirky hole in the wall called Fat Mama’s Tamales. The restaurant specialized in tamale pies and people were ordering them up by the dozens. They were delicious, brimming with ooey gooey cheese, beans, and spices. And the margaritas were also a hit.

But when I decided to make them at home, I wanted to make the recipe a bit healthier. This time, I tried to make them vegetarian. I wanted the dish to be hearty, so I included potatoes and vegetarian sausage. I found this truly amazing vegetarian sausage called Field Roast. It’s not frozen at all, it’s completely fresh. In fact, my husband, who’s far from a vegetarian, can’t tell the difference. I like pinto beans for this because their flavors meld really well with the traditional spices of the dish. You could also add in a red pepper or canned corn if you like. Serve with tortilla chips or just a simple salad and, of course, pair with a tasty margarita.

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

Serves 8

1 tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup vegetarian sausage, ground in a food processor
1 small potato, cut into 1-inch chunks and cooked until fork tender
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
¼ tsp chipotle flakes
1 (8.5-ounce) package cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with butter and set it aside.

3. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground vegetarian sausage, onions, potato, and garlic and cook for about 8 minutes. Season with cumin and sea salt.

4. Add the beans and tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese.

5. Spread the mixture in your prepared baking dish.

6. Prepare cornbread layer by combining the cornbread mix with the egg and milk. Spread the cornbread layer on top of the bean layer evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for five minutes.