Simple Tamale Pie

 

Here is part two of yesterday's Red Enchilada Sauce post. But today we are getting to the real "meat" or shall I say "meat-less" of the recipe!  I'm not a waster.  I find something that's been on my counter or in my fridge and to spare it from going stale or to waste, I'll work it in to my next recipe.

I've had this open bag of chips on my counter for about a week now.  Hubby and I have been munching away at these toasty tortilla chips but now that we are down to the last 3 cups of chips, neither of us are in the mood for any more.  So I was thinking about crumbling them over some sort of recipe but then I decided that I'd make a Simple Tamale Pie with some of the extra veggies I also had laying around from Hubby's garden.  I was pretty sure I had a can of enchilada sauce so I for sure was dead set on making something delicious.  For this recipe, feel free to use 2 cups of canned enchilada sauce to make this recipe even simpler, unless like me, your can of sauce is missing from your pantry.  But have no fear, the Red Enchilada Sauce recipe link is also here...Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe

 

Simple Tamale Pie Recipe~

 

1 small diced zucchini

1 small diced onion

1 large diced tomato

1 cup pinto beans

1 cup diced green chilies 

1 Tbs cumin

1 tsp cilantro

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups corn chips

2 cups red enchilada sauce

Optional~ 1/2 cup corn 

                 1/4 cup black olives

                  a few slices non-dairy cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a fry pan with a drizzle of oil and add zucchini.  Cook for about 8 minutes on medium/high heat, add onion, tomato and cook on high heat for two more minutes or until onions are translucent. Add cumin, cilantro, garlic, cayenne and stir well.  Remove from heat.  In a baking dish, spray with cooking spray and place half the chips on the bottom of the dish.  Add the mixture on top of the chips. (If adding corn and olives, add here.) Add the beans on top of the mixture and the diced green chilies on top of the beans.  Cover with remaining chips and slowly pour Red Enchilada Sauce evenly over the top. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, add your favorite non-dairy cheese and broil for a few minutes until melted. 

Savor, Eat, Love and Enjoy....

 

 

 

Simple Tamale Pie

 

Don't miss a beat!  Like me on Facebook and Instagram.  Or subscribe to have these recipes sent directly to your email.

Thanks Bunches!

Red Enchilada Sauce

 

I'm almost an empty nester.  My dear daughter Kailey is getting married in 8 days, my daughter Erin has been married for 5 years, my son Vince is in Canada with the love of his life for a few weeks and my son David is with his Auntie and Uncle while he is enlisting in the Army. Since this new era in my life has hit me like a ton of bricks, I've found that grocery shopping happens way less in my home since I mostly cook for two now.  So thus, it seems like I am always out of something I need for creating a new recipe. And that, my dear friends, out of necessity, leads me to creations of two recipes in one. But to make things simple, I'll do this recipe for Red Enchilada Sauce first and then post my next recipe for Quick Tamale Pie tomorrow which will include this Super Saucy link also.  So bear with me, you'll love this sauce for starters and then tomorrow...Voila...a new dinner will be born, and you're going to love it!
Trust me...

Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe~

4 Tbs oil
3 Tbs flour
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups tomato sauce

In a sauce pan, heat oil and flour on med/high heat.  Stir until it forms into a paste, cook for 2 minutes, then add all the rest of the ingredients.
Cook on high for 2 minutes until bubbly and then simmer for 15 min.  Spoon over eggs, tamales, tamale pie, enchiladas, beans, etc...    Store remaining sauce in the refrigerator or can for future storage.