Tamale Bake Featuring Black Beans

Ingredients 0/15

Step 1

Lightly heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a cast iron skillet, warm up some oil until it’s shimmering, then toss in the chopped onion, green pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook everything together, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, about 5 minutes. Next, add the ground beef and garlic, breaking the meat up as it browns—this should take another 5 minutes. If there’s a lot of fat, feel free to drain some off. Stir in the black beans, chile cooking sauce, and tomatoes, and let it all cook until the sauce thickens a bit, roughly 5 minutes.

Step 2

While that’s going, bring some water to a boil in a medium pot. Stir in the cornmeal and a little salt, cooking until it becomes thick and creamy—this only takes a couple of minutes. Take it off the heat, then mix in the corn, Monterey Jack cheese, and jalapeno until everything is well combined. Spread this cheesy cornmeal mixture evenly over the meat and bean layer in your skillet or casserole dish.

Step 3

Pop it into the oven and bake until the top turns golden and you can see the filling bubbling, about 45 minutes. When it’s done, let it rest for 15 minutes before serving so everything sets nicely. Enjoy!