Chicken Tamale Pie

As most people know, I'm a huge fan of Bob's Redmill. Okay, I'm a fan of Bob too, but I don't want to come across as "stalker-ish", so I try to control that admiration as much as possible.

Can't have Bob calling the authorities now, can I?

Even though the Redmill is a mere hour away from us, I still stock up like I'm waiting for Armageddon. Or the Zombie Apocalypse. Or something equally as epic.

Needless to say, I have at least 500#'s of grain in my possession. Of those 500 pounds, at least 20 different grains are unidentifiable. In my rush to fill bags at the bulk bins, sometimes I forget to write the contents next to the bulk bin number.

This makes cooking a true adventure.

It also leaves me making comments like, "Eat at your own risk." Or, "This is a test~I'll give $5 to the first one who can identify the grain/spice. Yes, I already know what it is, but I want to know if you know what it is!"

Now you know, I'm a big, fat liar.

One of the grains that I was finally able to identify was polenta. Funny thing, I actually bough a 25# bag of the stuff, poured it into a large storage container, and stuffed it to the back of the closet. But, don't you grind your own cornmeal? Why yes, I do. My grainmill only does a fine grind, so the course grind of the polenta kind of threw me off. Since I've only made polenta from scratch once, and from a marked bag, it took awhile to identify this little surprise.

I actually thought for a brief moment that someone, and by someone I mean other than me, had dumped the chicken feed into the kitchen storage bin!

So, what does one do with 25#'s of polenta? Well, I'm sure I don't know, but if Chicken Tamale Pie is a way to use it up, we'll be having this quite often.

And that makes my children very happy to have a momma who is obsessed with everything Redmill.

~Chicken Tamale Pie~

A Bob's Redmill Original (with a little "tweaking" by yours truly!)

~The Players~

2-1/2 t. sea salt, divided

1 cup dry polenta (medium-grind cornmeal)

1 Tb. butter

1 Tb. olive oil

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1/2 sweet red pepper, diced

1/2 sweet orange pepper, diced (can use green if you prefer)

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. ground cumin

1 Tb. chili powder

1/4 t. dried oregano

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup canned, diced tomatoes (I used home-canned)

1/2-3/4 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (or a combination of both)

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. and grease a 9-inch pie dish.

In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons sea salt to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal, whisking to prevent clumping. Lower the heat and continue cooking and stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Spread 2/3 of the corn mush across the bottom and up the sides of the buttered pie dish and set aside. Keep the rest of the mush warm by placing a lid on saucepan.

Sorry about the lighting~I make no claims to fame with my photography skills. Or lack of.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers; cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, garlic, cumin, chili powder, remaining 1/2 t. sea salt, oregano, and pepper and cook until meat is done, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer, cooking uncovered for about 5 minutes, or until liquid has reduced some.

Spoon the filling into the pie dish, spreading evenly.

Top with an even layer of the remaining mush and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

*It is very important to let the pie rest for 10 minutes before cutting. The pie needs a chance to set up a little before cutting. Unless you like your pie in a bowl...☺