October is a big month in my family. My birthday is Saturday, and so is Mom’s. Then Dad’s is 4 days later. Lots of celebrating to do! To top it all off, we take our annual sisters’ trip in October. Can. Not. Wait! Yes, October is a fun, busy month.
With all of that happening, we won’t be home much on the weekends, which is when I do the majority of my cooking. Without my big weekend meal prep sessions, I’ll need quick dinners I can whip up after work.
This is one of those easy, speedy meals, prepped and in the oven in very little time. It’s certainly easier than making actual tamales but just as tasty! ~Erin
- 1 ½ c. yellow cornmeal
- ½ c. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 c. hot tap water
- 1 egg
- 3 T. light butter, melted (I use Land O’ Lakes Light)
- ½ lb. 96% lean ground beef
- ½ medium onion, optional
- 1 (16 oz.) jar fat-free chunky salsa
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¾ c. reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheddar cheese
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spray a deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. You can use a 9×13 pan instead, your layers will just be thinner.
- In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.
- Add hot water, melted butter, and egg to the cornmeal mixture; whisk until well-combined.
- Pour the cornmeal batter into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly; set aside.
- Cook the beef and onion (if using) in a large skillet over medium heat, until beef is no longer pink.
- Add the salsa, beans, garlic powder, chili powder, and ground cumin; stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and stir until heated through.
- Spoon the meat mixture over the cornmeal batter to within half an inch of the edge.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until crust is set.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese.
- Let stand 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Cut into wedges and serve with additional salsa, if desired.
WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 8 servings. Each serving is 6 points.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c. yellow cornmeal
- ½ c. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 c. hot tap water
- 1 egg
- 3 T. light butter, melted (I use Land O’ Lakes Light)
- ½ lb. 96% lean ground beef
- ½ medium onion, optional
- 1 (16 oz.) jar fat-free chunky salsa
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¾ c. reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheddar cheese
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spray a deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. You can use a 9x13 pan instead, your layers will just be thinner.
- In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.
- Add hot water, melted butter, and egg to the cornmeal mixture; whisk until well-combined.
- Pour the cornmeal batter into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly; set aside.
- Cook the beef and onion (if using) in a large skillet over medium heat, until beef is no longer pink.
- Add the salsa, beans, garlic powder, chili powder, and ground cumin; stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and stir until heated through.
- Spoon the meat mixture over the cornmeal batter to within half an inch of the edge.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until crust is set.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese.
- Let stand 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Cut into wedges and serve with additional salsa, if desired.
Notes
WW info.: This recipe makes 8 servings. Each serving is 6 SmartPoints on WW Freestyle.