Tamale Pie I

"I made a few changes and it turned out really well. First of all, when you are cooking the meat, onions and garlic, add some RUBBED SAGE, CAYENNE PEPPER, CUMIN and a small dash of PARSLEY FLAKES. This..." See more gives it much more flavor. I also used a half of a can of tomato paste instead of tomatoes. Add a can of kidney beans too...YUM! It does turn out a little mushy, if that is not what you are looking for, don't add the egg, milk or cornmeal to the rest of the ingredients. Instead, make a cornmeal batter (you can even use the boxed one--follow the recipe on the box) and poor the batter over the top so it will form a nice cornbread over the top. This will solve the mushy aspect (which I didn't mind so much)And yes, it is rather ugly to behold....but give it a try. My husband wolfed it down. :) . Hope that helps."

"I made cornbread batter instead of mixing it in the meat. I used creamed corn, included the kidney beans, and added salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, along with the chili powder to season up the meat. I ..." See moredid not drain the meat, but I do recommend draining it prior to adding all the spices. The cornbread had a hard crust and not soggy in the middle. Turned out really good!"

"I made a tamale pie like this for years, I raised four kids on it. I loved it, easy, filling and inexpensive. I used Grandma's seasoning instead of chili power, added extra onion and cheese. I baked..." See more it in a cast iron dutch oven. It was always a hit."