My favorite school lunch last month was Tamale Pie. It didn't have meat with it but you could always add hamburger or sausage.
My manager printed out the recipe for thirteen people instead of four-hundred.
Combine 2 cups of masa, 1 tsp baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt, and blend together.
Add in 2 tsp of olive oil and beat to combine thoroughly.
Gradually add broth, (which is 1 tsp vegetable base and 10oz of boiling water),
scraping the bowl frequently.
The batter will be stiff, add 1/2 cup of cold water to thin it to the consistency of buttercream frosting.
The batter should not be sticky. It won't spread, you will need to pat it on top of veggies.
Saute garlic and all the yummy veggies in 2 tsp olive oil until they begin to caramelize.
The veggies we used in our pie:
Zucchini squash, red onion, red pepper, and fresh mushrooms all chopped up. Next you add spices, which include 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp oregano, and 1 tsp black pepper. (School lunches aren't aloud to use salt, so I personally would add 1 tsp of salt).
Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup water, then add 1# 10 can of black beans and heat through.
Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of any kind of cheese you like.
Spread 1/2 masa filling in bottom about 1 1/2 inch deep full size pan, and chill in fridge.
After the masa is chilled add veggies then spread remaining masa mix over the top.
Add shredded cheese on top and cover with foil.
Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes.
The younger grades were not interested in trying the pie, but the older grades seemed to like it.
So yummy!
