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Vegetarian Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie is a comfort food casserole at its best. Here we use a lentil-brown rice mixture instead of traditional ground beef. A good Meatless Monday choice.
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup brown rice
  • 1 cup green or brown lentils
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 14ounce can Mexican style stewed tomatoes pureed
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese
  • 1 tube polenta
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese optional

Method
 

  1. First make the vegetarian ground beef: Bring the broth to boil in a 3 quart saucepan.
  2. Add the brown rice and lentils. Reduce heat, and simmer until soft or even mushy, about 1/2 hour. Add more water if necessary to prevent sticking.
  3. To make pie: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add 2 ½ cups of lentil-rice mixture to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chili powder, tomatoes, corn, and black olives to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture is heated through.
    Add cheese to skillet. Stir until melted.
  6. Spoon mixture into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan, OR a greased 9x 13 inch pan.
  7. Chop polenta and scatter over top of casserole. Sprinkle with queso fresco cheese if desired.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
  9. Serve as is or with salsa and chopped avocado.