We love Mexican food given any season, and this tamale pie fits right into our meal plan. Substituting the usual ground beef with ground white turkey meat significantly lowers the fat content, and turkey blends well with the intense flavours of Mexico. If you don’t want to roast fresh chiles for this dish, you can buy them already roasted in a can.
Scrumptious Turkey Tamale Pie
This turkey tamale pie is a must-try Mexican food you'll need to perfect if you're looking for a good dish for serving groups.
Ingredients
3 sprays olive oil
1 medium white onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 ½ pounds ground turkey (minced turkey)
3 medium red pepper flakes - roasted, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano - crushed
1 ½ ounces tomatoes - no-salt-added, diced
15 ounces pinto beans - drained
½ cup corn kernels
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ cups water
¾ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup Colby Jack cheese - shredded reduced-fat 
2 sprigs green onions (scallions or green shallots) - white part and 1-inch green, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add onion and cook, often stirring, until onion wilts, for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Crumble ground turkey into the skillet and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring to break up any lumps of turkey until onion is lightly browned and the meat is no longer pink for about 5 minutes.
- Add the chile peppers, oregano, pinto beans, tomatoes, corn, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, occasionally stirring, until thickened, for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a 9-inch square casserole with cooking spray. Transfer turkey mixture to the casserole and smooth the top. Set aside.
- In a medium pan, simmer on medium heat. Whisking all of the time, gradually add the cornmeal, ground cumin, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, constantly stirring, until cornmeal is quite thick, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Spoon the cornmeal mixture on top of the turkey mixture and spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until the cornmeal is cooked through about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with scallions.
Nutrition
Calories: 382kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 39gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 731mgPotassium: 860mgFiber: 9gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 527IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 4mg
How did this recipe turn out for you?We’re eager to hear your thoughts!
