Vegetable Tamale Pies

Colleen's take: "I have been having Pinterest themed parties a lot lately & I tried out this recipe that I pinned some time back. Since then I have made it 3 times and it's a super easy, low budget, make ahead vegetarian meal. I have used both dried beans & once canned beans (I forgot to soak my beans) I enjoy the texture of the dried beans more (I cooked on the stove at a simmer for 2 hours too), but my husband enjoyed the canned black beans that I used once. So next time I am thinking of getting dried black beans and trying this with them."

Vegetable Tamale Pies Serves 6

What You Need 6 au gratin or small oven proof dishes (or one 9 x 9 baking dish)
1 cup cornmeal for polenta (or prepared polenta, about two 18 ounce tubes)
3 cups pinto beans, cooked (or canned)
1 cup frozen corn
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (or a mix of Monterrey jack and cheddar)
Sour cream to serve

Note: If you have time, we recommend cooking the beans from dry beans – it greatly enhances the flavor and texture!

What To Do

1  Make the polenta. When it is done, spread a layer evenly in the bottom of each dish. You can prepare it in advance and refrigerate until baking.

2  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3  Chop the cilantro. Drain the can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 cups salsa to remove excess liquid. If using canned beans, drain and rinse the beans.

4  In large bowl, coarsely mash the beans with a fork. Add 1 cup corn, tomatoes, salsa, 2 teaspoonscumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup cilantro. Mix to combine.

5  Spoon the bean mixture on top of the polenta. Top each dish with cheese and remaining cilantro.

6  Bake for 20 minutes until heated through. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream to serve.

Original Recipe sourced from a couple cooks blog