My Low Carb Tamale Pie Recipe

This is a recipe I came up with in order to have Mexican style food on a low carbohydrate diet. Doing tamale pie this way gives you the basic flavor of regular tamales but it is much lower in carbs and fat. It makes 4-6 servings depending on how you cut the resulting casserole. Add a small salad and you have a nice lunch or light dinner.


Serving of Low-carb Tamalie Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. 93% Lean Hamburger Meat

¼ Cup Frozen Onions
½ Cup Frozen Corn
10 Oz. Can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1/8 Cup Water
¼ Cup Cornmeal
1.25 Oz. Package Taco Seasoning
1 Egg
Grated Cheddar Cheese

Step-by-step Instructions: 

1. Fry together the hamburger, onions, and corn.  Then drain off fat when meat is all browned.  Return pan to stove. 
2. Mix in Rotel tomatoes, water, cornmeal, and taco seasoning.  Cook 5-10 minutes more on low until moisture absorbed.
3. Pour mix into a casserole dish (approximately 9 x 9) leaving a small ditch around the edges of the meat mixture.
4. Beat the egg and then pour it around the sides of the dish.  Then stir it into to meat mixture until the egg is fully blended in.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 -25 minutes.
6. Top casserole with grated cheese and return to oven until cheese melts.
7. Serve while hot.  If desired, a dollop of sour cream can be placed on top of individual servings.

Tips:

1. I use Original flavor Rotel, which I recommend you use the first time you make this recipe.  Then if you want spicy or milder, you can use Hot or Mild flavors to match your preference.  I also prefer the taste of Sharp Cheddar Cheese on this dish, but you may use medium or mild.
2. You can leave out the frozen onions or corn if you do not have them.  However, the resulting casserole will be much drier and less tasty.  The frozen vegetables add a nice contrast in texture, as well as the extra moisture.  FYI:  If frozen vegetables are bought in a bag, the bag can be tied closed in order to use smaller portions of it in recipes as needed.
3. To determine actual carbs per serving, you would need to add up the carbs for all ingredients you use to get the total.  Then divide that total by how many ways you cut the resulting casserole.  The brands I use typically result in a total of 92 (divide by 4 is 23 carbs per serving, by 6 is less than 16 per serving), but other brands may result in more or less carbs.