New Food: Tamale Pies

When I found this meal, I was looking for something that would freeze well.  You see, I made this meal for one of my best friends, who is about to have her first kiddo any day now.  We are all super excited for Henry's arrival and are doing what we can to help out.

I found the recipe online, here.

2 lb ground chicken
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (11 oz) corn niblets, drained
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes with chiles
2 cans (10 oz each) enchilada sauce
6 scallions, chopped
1 pkg (17.5 oz each) soft taco-size flour tortillas
3 cups of shredded Mexican cheese

Coat two 9-in. round disposable foil pans with nonstick spray.

Heat a 12-in. straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; saute, breaking up chunks, 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Spoon into a large bowl; stir in beans, corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce and scallions until well mixed.

Place prepared foil pans on counter. Put 1 tortilla in each; spread each with 1 1/4 cups meat mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers in each pan 3 times. Top with a tortilla, press slightly on meat layer, then flip tortillas over so there’s some sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

 

Cover with plastic wrap, then tightly cover with nonstick foil. Label and freeze up to 3 months.  To reheat, thaw in refrigerator overnight. (If pie is not completely thawed before baking, that’s OK). Heat oven to 375°F. Remove foil and plastic wrap, then re-cover with the foil. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes or until center is hot (insert tip of a knife 30 seconds; if tip is hot, so is center). Let stand 5 minutes before cutting in wedges.

I actually had a lot of the filling left over, so I made a third pie, for Eric.  He really liked it, so hopefully it will turn out well for Katy and Patrick.  I liked the idea of giving them pie-sized dinners, since it only needs to feed the two of them.  And then they get two meals.