Repli-Kate: Tamale Pie!

It's been a while since I've done a Repli-Kate post (previous ones here and here). For those of you new to the blog or who have a memory like mine, Repli-Kate posts are where I try to replicate something from Pinterest or another source of inspiration.

This week, that inspiration comes not from Pinterest, but from my two favorite Joes: Joe (my hubby) and Trader Joe's.

A few months ago, Joe tried a free sample at Trader Joe's where they used their polenta and pre-cooked carnitas to make a tamale bite. He loved the idea, and bought ingredients to make something similar at home: a tamale pie! He's made this dish a few times since, and I wanted to try my hand at it myself.

So here you go - the recipe for tamale pie!

***Side Note*** As friends, family, and long-time readers probably know - cooking is not my forte. I am trying and actually improving... but if you expect proper cooking lingo in this recipe, you've come to the wrong place ;) ***End of Side Note***

Tamale Pie - 4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 medium onions
1 package of Trader Joe's pre-cooked carnitas (12 oz.)
1 package of polenta (18 oz.)
1 can of black beans (15 oz.)
1 can of red enchilada sauce (10 oz.)
shredded cheese (optional)

Step One: The Stove

(Oh, you may want to pre-heat your oven to 350 at this point. I always forget.)

Cut the onions into rings and saute them to your heart's taste-buds' desire (Joe hates onions unless they are super tender, so ours were pretty soft).

Next, pull the carnitas apart and add the shreds to another pan. You'll likely find a lot of disgusting fat clusters. We always throw those away (we are healthy like that haha). I promise this part will make you want to hit the gym ASAP.

You don't need to cook the carnitas long. Since they are pre-cooked, the point is to get them lightly browned and slightly crispy. Once again, the amount you cook them is up to you and your preferences.

Step 2: Assembly

Now that all of our ingredients are prepped, it's time to assemble the pie in a 8X8 inch baking dish.

First, pat down the polenta to make the crust:

Next, add canned black beans that have been drained (I don't like that icky bean water that's in the can and we don't want the tamale pie too wet!):

The carnitas are next:

Followed by the onions:

And, finally, the whole can of enchilada sauce:

You can add cheese to the top if you'd like. However, when Joe and I did this in the past we felt that all of the other ingredients were so flavorful we couldn't taste the cheese. Unless you dump buckets on top, you'll probably agree.

Though buckets of cheese does sound delicious...

Step 3: Oven Time!

Now that the pie is assembled, pop it in the oven (which should be at 350 since you remembered to pre-heat it. Oh, wait, you are like me and forgot? Curse loudly quietly and pop it in anyways but add some extra time to account for the cold oven.)

Cook the pie for 30 minutes if you are putting it in the oven immediately after assembly. If you assembled the pie in the morning so you could have dinner almost ready when you get home (like I did) add a good 15 minutes since it'll be cold from the fridge.

Everything is already cooked, so the point is to get it hot all the way through. It takes longer than you'd expect. I cooked this pie for 30 minutes after it was in the fridge all day and it was barely warm with just a couple of hot pockets. (MMMM... Hot Pockets).

Step 4: Enjoy!

The pie won't look any different when you pull it out of the oven unless you added cheese to the top. In which case, the cheese will hopefully be melty and brown. If not, broil that S!

Dishing up tamale pie is quite the feat. It will likely fall apart and make a big mess on your plate. Luckily, you are no longer 5 and you understand that just because your piece isn't as pretty as another person's piece, it'll taste JUST AS GOOD!

And I promise... it WILL be good :)

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