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Gallery Recipe Summary Servings: 8

Ingredients Ingredient Checklist 5 1/2 cups water Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, plus more for dish 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 serrano chile, finely chopped 1 1/2 pounds ground dark turkey meat 1 can (14 ounces) plum tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 pimiento-stuffed green olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped 4 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese (1 1/4 cups) 1 ripe avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and diced 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped, or 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion Crisp lettuce leaves

Gallery

Recipe Summary Servings: 8

Recipe Summary Servings: 8

Recipe Summary

Servings: 8

Servings: 8

8

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 5 1/2 cups water Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, plus more for dish 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 serrano chile, finely chopped 1 1/2 pounds ground dark turkey meat 1 can (14 ounces) plum tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 pimiento-stuffed green olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped 4 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese (1 1/4 cups) 1 ripe avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and diced 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped, or 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion Crisp lettuce leaves

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Whisking constantly, add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, switching to a wooden spoon when cornmeal becomes too thick to whisk. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, cover, and keep warm over low heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add onion, garlic, bell pepper, chile, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is light gold and vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add turkey, and cook, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and juices, stock, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mixture resembles chili, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1 1/2 cups cornmeal into bottom of prepared dish with a wet spatula. Spread turkey mixture on top, then spread remaining 2 1/2 cups cornmeal on top. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack. Bake until golden brown and cheese is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and lettuce.

Reviews (6)

 Add Rating & Review     136 Ratings   5 star values:        15    4 star values:        36    3 star values:        54    2 star values:        20    1 star values:        11

Reviews (6)

Add Rating & Review     136 Ratings   5 star values:        15    4 star values:        36    3 star values:        54    2 star values:        20    1 star values:        11

Add Rating & Review

136 Ratings 5 star values: 15 4 star values: 36 3 star values: 54 2 star values: 20 1 star values: 11

136 Ratings 5 star values: 15 4 star values: 36 3 star values: 54 2 star values: 20 1 star values: 11

136 Ratings 5 star values: 15 4 star values: 36 3 star values: 54 2 star values: 20 1 star values: 11

  • 5 star values: 15 4 star values: 36 3 star values: 54 2 star values: 20 1 star values: 11

    Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 2.0 stars       08/02/2020   I recently cut out this recipe when it was published in the Baltimore Sun newspaper. I sure wish I had known about these reviews before making it. Although it tasted ok, it came out as a horrible pile of glop. My wonderful husband ate it anyway without a complaint and even reviewed the recipe with me to see if and where I went wrong. Nope, wasn't me. This is just a bad recipe! Wasted my good home grown peppers.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 1 stars       02/13/2016   Careful people. This recipe is WRONG. You will end up with grit-like mush -- nothing even close to a cornmeal crust. There must be a typo here; far too much water is being called for with the cornmeal. It was impossible to thicken the resulting "batter" on the stove. I made the mistake of thinking it would bake out/firm up in the oven. Well, it won't. Pity, because I made this for a HUGE crowd! Incredibly embarrassing. The folks at Martha Stewart really ought to correct this recipe  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: 1 stars       08/13/2014   I didn't like the mushy bottom or top of the pie. By looking at the picture I figured the top would be a lot firmer. The filling was great but next time I will make a cornbread topping.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       12/20/2011   Havn't tried it yet, because I thought it was strange to have the cornmeal on the bottom. Maybe it would work in a convection oven, but I'm scared to end up with mush! I might just top it with the cornmeal mixture...  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       05/31/2010   Had a superior tamale pie at the Smithsonian Museum of Native American HIstory cafetteria.  

Martha Stewart Member     Rating: Unrated       06/15/2009   Martha, Martha, Martha, you usually don't lead me wrong. This recipe took a good portion of my Sunday evening for all the elements and all of the chopping and even after letting it set for over 30 minutes, it came out totally mushy. Think grits and taco meat. Not good!

    Martha Stewart Member

    Rating: 2.0 stars 08/02/2020

I recently cut out this recipe when it was published in the Baltimore Sun newspaper. I sure wish I had known about these reviews before making it. Although it tasted ok, it came out as a horrible pile of glop. My wonderful husband ate it anyway without a complaint and even reviewed the recipe with me to see if and where I went wrong. Nope, wasn’t me. This is just a bad recipe! Wasted my good home grown peppers.

Rating: 2.0 stars

Rating: 1 stars 02/13/2016

Careful people. This recipe is WRONG. You will end up with grit-like mush – nothing even close to a cornmeal crust. There must be a typo here; far too much water is being called for with the cornmeal. It was impossible to thicken the resulting “batter” on the stove. I made the mistake of thinking it would bake out/firm up in the oven. Well, it won’t. Pity, because I made this for a HUGE crowd! Incredibly embarrassing. The folks at Martha Stewart really ought to correct this recipe

Rating: 1 stars

Rating: 1 stars 08/13/2014

I didn’t like the mushy bottom or top of the pie. By looking at the picture I figured the top would be a lot firmer. The filling was great but next time I will make a cornbread topping.

Rating: Unrated 12/20/2011

Havn’t tried it yet, because I thought it was strange to have the cornmeal on the bottom. Maybe it would work in a convection oven, but I’m scared to end up with mush! I might just top it with the cornmeal mixture…

Rating: Unrated

Rating: Unrated 05/31/2010

Had a superior tamale pie at the Smithsonian Museum of Native American HIstory cafetteria.

Rating: Unrated 06/15/2009

Martha, Martha, Martha, you usually don’t lead me wrong. This recipe took a good portion of my Sunday evening for all the elements and all of the chopping and even after letting it set for over 30 minutes, it came out totally mushy. Think grits and taco meat. Not good!

All Reviews for Tamale Pie

  • of Reviews Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

All Reviews for Tamale Pie

  • of Reviews

    Reviews: Most Helpful Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful     Most Positive     Least Positive     Newest