Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tamale Pie
A saucy sweet potato, black bean and corn filling baked under a scratch buttermilk cornbread lid. One dish, no corn husks, about an hour start to finish.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ lb sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes, about 3 cups
- ½ cup water or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles 14.5 oz
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo minced
- 1 can black beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
For the Cornbread Topping
- 1 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion 6 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the cubed sweet potato and the water, cover, and cook 10 to 12 minutes until a knife slides in with slight resistance. Do not cook them to mush.
- Stir in the tomato paste, cumin and oregano and cook 1 minute. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles, minced chipotle, black beans, corn and salt.
- Simmer uncovered 8 to 10 minutes until a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a track that stays open for a second. Stir in the cilantro.
- Transfer the hot filling to a 9x13 baking dish if you are not already in an oven-safe pan. Heat the oven to 400F.
Top and Bake
- Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In another, whisk the buttermilk, egg, melted butter and honey.
- Pour the wet into the dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Lumps are fine.
- Dollop the batter in about eight spoonfuls over the hot filling, then join them up with the back of the spoon, spreading right to the edges and sealing against the sides of the dish.
- Bake uncovered 22 to 28 minutes, until the top is golden and a tester in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream and extra cilantro.
Notes
- Reduce the filling properly: a loose filling is the number one reason the cornbread lid sinks. Wait for the spoon track.
- Spread to the edges: seal the batter against the sides of the dish or the filling bubbles up over the top.
- Spoon onto hot filling: the heat sets the underside of the batter immediately so it holds itself up.
- Medium-grind cornmeal: fine cornmeal bakes into something closer to cake.
- No soaking needed: soaking sweet potatoes is a trick for fries. Here it just waterlogs the cubes.