Two-Bean Tamale Pie

Here is another lovely recipe from another lovely blogger—Leslie over at Definitely Not Martha.

Leslie notes that her recipe was stolen and lightly modified from Better Homes and Gardens.

I like this dish for three reasons:

1. It’s quick and easy to make.
2. It’s spicy hot.
3. I think it might actually be good for me.

1 tbsp oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic so I threw in four or five cloves)
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 can kidney beans, rinsed, drained and slightly mashed
1 can pinto beans, rinsed, drained and slightly mashed
2/3 c vegetable juice (Leslie used 1 cup fresh salsa instead and so did I—the hot stuff)
1 (4-oz) can diced green chili peppers, not drained
1 box corn muffin mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I left this out)

1. Grease a 9x13 glass pan (I used a cake pan that wasn’t glass and it didn’t seem to matter). Set aside. In a large skillet, cook green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chili powder and cumin. Stir.

2. Add kidney and pinto beans, vegetable juice, and chili peppers and stir. Heat through. Dump into 9x13 pan and smooth out evenly.

3. Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions.

4. Add cheese and cilantro, stirring just until combined. Spoon cornbread mixture evenly over the top of the bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until golden. Leslie grated a little more cheese over the top of the pie before baking so I tried it too. Highly recommended.