Beef Tamale Casserole

By Beefman-2

An easy alternative to tamales. I like to make it in my large oval casserole dish and round it up like a giant tamale. I also substitute a small can of diced green chilies for the bell pepper when I didn't have any on hand and discovered I prefer it. Muy bueno.

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups water
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, in thick puree
• 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned(drained)
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preparation

Step 1

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. 2 Make the cornmeal layer by mixing yellow cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 4 cups water in a saucepan. 3 Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil. 4 Reduce heat and then cook, stirring, until thickened (about 5 minutes). 5 In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic until meat is longer pink and vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes). 6 Stir in seasonings, tomatoes, beans and corn and simmer for about 5 minutes. 7 Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray (or large casserole dish). 8 Spoon in meat mixture. 9 Spread cornmeal mixture over and then sprinkle with cheese. 10 Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. 11 Let stand 10 minutes before serving.