Tag Archives: ground beef

“Cheater” Beef Biryani With Cumin Raita

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Not familiar with biryani? It is a world-renowned Indian dish that takes time and practice to make but is worth every bit of the effort. It consists of long-grained rice (like basmati) flavored with fragrant spices such as saffron and layered with lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables and a thick gravy. The dish is then covered, its lid secured, and then the biryani is cooked over a low flame. This is definitely a special occasion dish.

However, this “cheater” version of biryani allows you to enjoy the wonderfully fragrant and complex dish on a busy weeknight. The shortcut method here gives the rice a head start in a Dutch oven, while a ground beef mixture comes together quickly in a skillet.

Don’t be deterred by the long ingredient list, as most of the ingredients are dried spices that don’t require any prep work. Aromatic garlic, ginger and spices are bloomed in ghee to extract as much flavor as possible, and there’s a slight hit of heat from the chile powder (more to taste). A tangy cumin raita is a lovely finishing drizzle that brightens the meal.

NOTES: Our alterations included using the entire onion, and increasing the ground beef to 1 1/2 pounds. With these additional amounts, you could get up to six servings. And next time we’ll increase the Kashmiri chile powder or cayenne because we could barely detect it. The original recipe indicates it is a total time of 30 minutes, but it took us at least 45 minutes to prep and cook.

Cheater Beef Biryani With Cumin Raita

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1½ cups basmati rice, rinsed
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ tsp. Kosher salt and pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. ghee
  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp. garam masala
  • ½ tsp. ground Kashmiri chile powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne (more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp. ground fennel
  • ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1 star anise
  • ½ tsp. cumin seeds, divided
  • 1½ lbs. ground beef (preferably 20 percent fat)
  • ¾ cup Greek-style plain yogurt, divided
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, combine rice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, broth and ½ teaspoon of salt over medium-high heat; cover and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant and well blended, 2 minutes.
  3. Push onion mixture to one side of the skillet and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee in the empty side. To the melted ghee, add garlic, ginger, garam masala, chile powder, fennel, turmeric, star anise and ¼ teaspoon of the cumin; stir until well blended, 30 seconds.
  4. Mix the spices into the onion mixture until well combined, then add beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes (it will finish cooking with the rice). Turn off heat and stir in ¼ cup of the yogurt until well incorporated.
  5. Drizzle milk evenly over the rice, then add the beef mixture on top in an even layer. Scatter over half of the cilantro, cover and cook until the beef is tender and rice is cooked through, 8 minutes longer.
  6. Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup yogurt, ¼ teaspoon cumin and 2 tablespoons of water and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
  7. Gently fluff the rice with a fork and discard star anise and any other visible whole spices. Divide biryani among 4 bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro. Serve warm, with the cumin raita on the side.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Kay Chun for NYTimes Cooking

The Ultimate Everything Chili

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We’ve made more than our fair share of chili recipes over the past few decades—merging all types of ingredients. Beans of every variety, no beans. Cubed beef, ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken—even meatless. White chili, red chili, green chili. All different fresh and dried chiles and spices. Some we loved, others were just meh. A tip from a friend led us to a recent chili recipe in the NYTimes online cooking section and we decided to take a peek at it.

We agree with NYT’s assessment that a great chili should be richly spiced, with layers of deep, savory flavor. Here, that big flavor comes from the usual contenders, but also from the unexpected additions of unsweetened cocoa, soy sauce and Worcestershire, which provide wonderful complexity.

This recipe makes a thick, comforting chili that can be prepared in a Dutch oven on the stovetop (or in a slow-cooker); and it’s flavor improves with a long, slow simmer. It makes a decent-sized batch, perfect for a cold-weather get-together. If there are leftovers, they freeze well—or refrigerate for a few days and let the flavors meld even further.

Yeah, the list of ingredients is long, but the reward is a soulful bowl of goodness. Don’t forget to serve some, or all, of the extras: grated sharp Cheddar, sliced scallions, sour cream, hot sauce, pickled jalapeños and tortilla chips.

Our changes (noted in the recipe below) included doubling the amount of crushed tomatoes, using stout instead of pilsner beer, decreasing the maple syrup by half, swapping out chopped canned chipotles in adobo for the chipotle powder, and using our Le Creuset Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker.

The Ultimate Everything Chili

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 lbs. ground beef, 80 percent lean, 20 percent fat
  • 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 6-oz can tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
  • 1 1⁄2 Tbsp. canned chipotle, chopped
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 tsp. mustard powder
  • 2 tsp. hot smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. cayenne powder
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • 12 oz. (1½ cups) stout beer, such as Guiness
  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes in juice
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup or dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. beef stock bouillon paste, such as Better Than Bouillon
  • 1½ tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 15.5-oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • For serving: Hot sauce, grated sharp Cheddar, sliced scallions, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, and crushed tortilla chips

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beef and garlic, season with salt and cook, breaking the beef into crumbles with a spatula, until the beef has lost its pink color and some of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened and caramelized, about 1 minute. Stir in all the spices and chopped chipotle chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beer and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, beef bouillon paste, cocoa, drained beans and ½ cup water. Cover and cook on low for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours; stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. When ready to serve, stir in the Worcestershire sauce. If the chili is too thick, stir in a bit of water until the texture is to your liking. Season to taste with salt. Serve in bowls and pass the toppings at the table.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by SarahDiGregorio for NYTimes Cooking

Classic Beef Chili

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There are endless variations of chili, and here’s one of the classics. It uses lean ground chuck, but you can always substitute ground turkey if you stay away from red meat. Fresh poblanos, toasty ancho chile powder, oregano and beer are just some of the ingredients that come together to make a flavorful bowl of chili for any occasion.

When it comes to making chili, it’s important to build flavor even before you add spicy heat. Toasting the ground cumin and ancho chile powder in oil as they cook with the beef brings out their earthy flavors, adding savory undertones to the mix when combined with the fresh poblano, thyme, and oregano. Using canned beans makes this recipe especially convenient; be sure to rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the pot.

Serving to a crowd? Go ahead and set up a buffet of toppings. Serve alongside tortilla chips, cornbread, and bowls of toppings like shredded cheddar, slices of fresh jalapeño and radishes, chopped scallions, and sour cream. This way, each person can pick and choose their garnishes and personalize their perfect bowl of beef chili.

And as is the case with many soups, stews and chilis, they provide a more pronounced marriage of flavors when reheated the second time around.

The original recipe indicated it took 55 minutes total from prep through eating. With two of us prepping, it took nearly 40 minutes, so you may want to rethink the total time…

Classic Beef Chili

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
  • 1 cup chopped poblano chile (from 1 chile). We used 3 poblanos.
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 lbs. 90/10 lean ground chuck
  • 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup ancho chile powder
  • 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 15-oz. cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 12-oz. bottle of beer
  • Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
  • Sliced or pickled  jalapeños, for serving

Directions

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion, poblano, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add ground chuck and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef crumbles and is no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Drain beef mixture well and return to Dutch oven over medium-high.
  5. Add tomato paste, ancho chile powder, cumin, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.
  6. Increase heat to high. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, at least 30 minutes. It can simmer for 60-90 minutes.
  7. Serve chili with desired toppings.

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Adapted from a recipe by Robby Melvin for Food & Wine

Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs

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Another weeknight meal done in under an hour. And who doesn’t like meatballs? This is not a typical meatball and sauce combination, but rather exudes an Indian profile. We paired ours with a side of baby spinach and sliced garlic stir-fried in a wok.

Taken from an article in Bon Appétit Magazine, it informs us that puréeing onions allow you to harness all of that punchy allium flavor with none of the chopping and tears. Here, they’re blended up with yogurt and aromatics to create a mixture inspired by onion-and-yogurt pastes used in Mughal-style cooking.

Added to both the base of the curry and the meatball mixture; the purée thickens and seasons the sauce while keeping the meatballs tender and sweet. Take care to cook out the paste for the curry until drops of fat bead on the surface, which ensures that the final product will taste rich and rounded.

This coconut curry sauce is incredibly versatile. Not a red meat fan? Try cooking canned chickpeas, cubes of seared tofu, or browned 1″ pieces of skinless, boneless chicken thighs in it instead of the meatballs. Just make sure to cook the full amount of purée in the pan before adding the coconut milk and water; it will take a minute or two longer.

Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, peeled, quartered through root end
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 1″ piece ginger, peeled
  • 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise
  • ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. mild curry powder (preferably S&B)
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
  • 1 lb. ground lamb or ground beef chuck (20% fat)
  • ¼ cup panko
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 6 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced
  • Cooked rice or flatbread and lime wedges (for serving)

Directions

  1. Purée 1 small onion, peeled, quartered through root end, 6 garlic cloves, one 1” piece ginger, peeled, 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise, and ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt in a blender until smooth. Transfer ¼ cup onion purée to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons mild curry powder, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt to remaining purée in blender and blend briefly to combine; set aside. 
  2. Add 1 pound ground lamb or ground beef chuck (20% fat), ¼ cup panko, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, remaining 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, and ¼ cup water to ¼ cup purée in bowl; mix vigorously with your hands until smooth and meat is beginning to stick to sides of bowl. Wet your hands and roll lamb mixture into 1½”-diameter balls (you should have about 16).
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half of meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total (meatballs will still be raw in the center); transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining meatballs and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
  4. Reduce heat to medium; add reserved onion purée to same skillet (stand back; mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring often, until purée thickens significantly and beads of oil form on the surface, 6–8 minutes. Add one 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk and ½ cup water, stirring to combine. Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until meatballs are cooked through, 8–10 minutes.
  5. Transfer meatball curry to a large shallow bowl; top with 6 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread and lime wedges alongside.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Shilpa Uskokovic for Bon Appétit Magazine

Parmesan Meatloaf

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Scrolling through Facebook, I saw this “simple” meatloaf recipe, and thought why not? Just as there are loads of meatball recipes, so goes it with meatloaves. And yes, it really was quite simple. If you make up the mix in the morning, you can then just pop it into a preheated oven for one hour before dinner; just make sure to let it rest for 10 minutes afterward.

*A trick I learned ages ago to eliminate some of the fat, is halfway through the cooking time, fold up a few paper towels and pat up the grease that has risen to the top. At this point I add a few ladles of the pasta sauce on top and return it to the oven. Once you cut out the first slice, you can then use a baster to suck up the remaining liquid/fat. Another approach is to form the loaf free-style and place it on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Whichever method you prefer, do not overwork the meat mixture when combining all of the ingredients, otherwise it will be dense and tough. The key is to keep it loose, soft and airy.

We paired ours with a Roasted Bell Pepper and Tomato side dish which cooked at the same temperature as the meatloaf. With some of the leftovers we combined it with cooked pasta and more of the sauce used for the meatloaf topping.

Parmesan Meatloaf

  • Servings: 1 loaf
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 small yellow onion (grated)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite pasta sauce (marinara sauce, homemade, meatless)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork and beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Try not over handle the mixture, otherwise it will get tough.
  3. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan, and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce. (*Or follow the approach mentioned above.)
  4. Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour.
  5. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and drain any grease from the meats at this time.
  6. Sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese.
  7. Place the meatloaf back in the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted.
  8. Remove the meatloaf from the oven, and let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Grandma’s Old Recipes

Soutzoukakia: Greek Baked Meatballs In Tomato Sauce

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Over the course of nearly 9 years writing this blog, I have posted numerous meatball recipes from many different cultures. Until The Hubs recently came across this one from The Mediterranean Dish, we had never heard of Soutzoukakia, football-shaped Greek meatballs.

Soutzoukakia is not an easy word to enunciate, so try this “soot-zoo-KAH-kee-ah”. Flavor-packed meatballs with loads of aromatics, fresh parsley, and a special blend of spices, including ground cumin and a touch of cinnamon baked in a rich tomato sauce.

Soutzoukakia are delicious meatballs made with ground beef, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and a unique spice combination, the star of which is cumin. The cumin’s warm and distinctive flavor with bitter, lemony undertones provides a great earthy base here. Adding to the flavor is the epic tomato sauce scented with bay, garlic and a touch of cinnamon.

The meatballs are baked in the sauce to create a dish that is comfort food at it’s finest. The secret to making great meatballs that are extra tender and juicy? Add pieces of milk-soaked bread and use a light hand when mixing and forming the meatballs. (With no whole wheat bread slices on hand, we incorporated a toasted hamburger roll.)

When you first eyeball all of the ingredients, you may say “No way!” But if you look a little closer, you’ll notice that 4 of those ingredients repeat in both the meatballs and in the sauce. Plus, there is no need to brown the meatballs, which is a time-saver in itself.

To make ahead, you can prep both the sauce and meatball mixture the day before. Mix the meatball mixture and keep it in the fridge for up to one day in advance. When you’re ready, form the meat into oblong shapes, place them in an oiled baking dish, and pour the sauce over. Bake and serve. Quickly cook up some rice or orzo and heap meatballs and sauce atop them. Dinner done.

Soutzoukakia: Greek Baked Meatballs In Tomato Sauce

  • Servings: Yields 16 meatballs
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For Meatballs

  • 2 slices whole wheat bread, toast-size, toasted to a medium-brown (or use gluten free bread if you need)
  • ⅓ cup whole milk
  • 1½ lbs. lean ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil, to grease the baking dish

For Red Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 30 oz. canned tomato sauce, that’s 2, 15-oz. cans of sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¾ tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, place the toasted bread and cover with milk (or water) to soak. When bread is soft and well-soaked, squeeze the liquid out completely and discard remaining milk if any.
  2. Transfer the bread to a large mixing bowl. Add round beef and remaining meatball ingredients. Knead well until well-combined. Cover the meat mixture and rest in the fridge for now.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  4. While oven is heating, prepare the sauce. In a sauce pan or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes or so. Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring regularly.
  5. Now add red wine and cook to reduce by about ½, then add tomato sauce, bay leaf and remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  6. Prepare a large baking dish and lightly oil the bottom with extra virgin olive oil.
  7. Take the meat mixture out of the fridge. Wet your hands and scoop portions of about 2 ½ tablespoons of the meat mixture and form into large elongated meatballs (football-shaped). You should have 12 to 16 meatballs or so. Arrange meatballs in the papered baking dish and top with the sauce. Be sure to have removed the bay leaf from the sauce.
  8. Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the meatballs are well cooked through. Check part-way through to make sure sauce is not dry, and if needed, add a little bit of water to the bottom of the baking dish.
  9. Remove from oven and add another drizzle of EVOO. Garnish with parsley and serve over rice or orzo.

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Adapted recipe from Suzy Karadsheh

Beef and Lamb Bolognese

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This version of bolognese is half lamb and half ground beef, a mixture you’ll see a lot in northern Italy, and because the lamb is lean, this is a somewhat lighter sauce than all-beef or pork-based ragu.

The sauce needs a good long simmer, but it makes enough that you’ll likely get two meals. Giada claims the pasta shouldn’t be swimming in sauce; you only want it to stain the pasta, but we are “saucy” people and like to pile on a fair amount.

One of the ingredients is Calabrian chili paste, but a good substitute is Sriracha, and that’s what we used.

Beef and Lamb Bolognese

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 celery, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt divided
  • 3/4 lb. ground lamb
  • 3/4 lb. ground beef chuck
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 tsp. Calabrian chili paste; or Sriracha
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup dry red wine such as chianti
  • 1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes, (28 ounce) crushed by hand
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 piece parmesan rind, (3 inch)
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb. fusilli, cooked to package instructions; or polenta

Directions

  1. Heat a medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil and warm until the butter is melted.
  2. Add the onions, carrots, celery and a 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook stirring often for 6 minutes or until the vegetable are soft but have no color.
  3. Add the lamb and beef and cook breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink.
  4. Stir the garlic, chili paste, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste into the meat mixture. Cook the tomato paste stirring often for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the milk is almost entirely evaporated.
  6. Add the wine, tomatoes, bay leaf, parmesan rind and remaining salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low to just maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer the sauce for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Use several folded paper towels to skim some of the oil from the surface.
  7. Discard the bay leaf and parm rind.
  8. Spoon the bolognese over fusilli or creamy polenta reserving any extra to serve on the side. Serve with additional parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

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Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Cast-Iron Green Chile Tamale Pie

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We found this version of Tamale Pie in a recent issue of Fine Cooking Magazine. Its name is due to the awesome layer of cornbread that sits on top of the ground beef (or ground turkey) filling, mimicking masa-wrapped, meat-filled tamales. In lieu of more traditionally used canned tomatoes, this Southwest riff favors green chiles and tangy, tomatillo-spiked salsa verde.

As is often the case, we put our own spin on the recipe. In this instance, we doubled the amounts of beans and onion. Originally I planned on using ground turkey in place of ground beef, but the supermarket was out of it. (Still dealing with COVID supply and delivery issues two years later!)

After it was fully cooked, and I went to spoon out a portion, there seemed to be a fair amount of liquid in the bottom of the skillet. Once in my dinner bowl however, the fluid soaked up into the cornbread topping. Perhaps replacing the zucchini with red pepper—which has less moisture content—would be a good alternative and add a nice pop of color.

Based on some of the ingredients, you may think it is spicy. And yes, it does have a slight kick, but I wouldn’t scale back on any of the suggested amounts. An alternative, if spice is just not your thing, incorporate milder salsa verde and chopped green chiles. We both thought that the leftovers, when reheated, were even better than the first go-around—plus any liquid had been reabsorbed.

Cast-Iron Green Chile Tamale Pie

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the filling

  • 1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 cup mild or spicy salsa verde; more for serving
  • 1/2 cup cooked black or pinto beans
  • 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen yellow corn kernels
  • 1 4-oz. can mild or spicy chopped green chiles (undrained)
  • Kosher salt

For the cornbread topping

  • 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbs. sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves; more for garnish
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese
  • Sour cream and avocado slices, for serving

Directions

Make the filling

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a deep 10-inch wide cast-iron skillet, cook the beef over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Add the zucchini, onion, and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the salsa, beans, corn, green chiles, and salt. Remove from the heat.

Make the cornbread topping

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.
  2. In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, cilantro, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir just until combined.
  3. Scatter half of the cheese over the beef mixture in the skillet, then pour the cornbread batter over and spread to the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
  4. Bake until cornbread is cooked through and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  5. Serve with additional salsa, sour cream, and avocado slices. Garnish with cilantro.

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Adapted from a recipe by Liz Pearson for Fine Cooking