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Cornbread-topped Mexican beef pie

  • 15 minutes
  • 50 minutes
  • 6
Cornbread-topped Mexican beef pie

This family meal, with a Louisiana-style crusty, herb-seasoned cornbread topping, makes a great alternative to the classic mashed potato-topped cottage pie.

Ingredients

  • 750 grams lean beef mince
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 2x 400-gram cans Mexican-flavoured chopped tomatoes
  • 400 gram can condensed tomato soup
  • 1-1½ cups diced cooked vegetables (can be fresh or frozen)
  • Cornbread topping
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 3 heaped teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cajun spice mix, chilli powder or paprika
  • 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, chives or coriander)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 25 grams butter, melted

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
  2. Heat a dash of oil in a frying-pan and brown the beef mince over a high heat in batches. Set aside. Add a little more oil and cook the onion and garlic over a moderate heat until well softened.
  3. Return the mince to the pan with the tomatoes and tomato soup. If using fresh vegetables, add to the pan, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Or, if using frozen vegetables, simmer the mince, tomatoes and tomato soup for 10 minutes, add the frozen vegetables and simmer until they begin to soften.
  4. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, then pour on the cornbread topping. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until hot, golden and cooked.
  5. Cornbread topping
  6. Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, spice and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Stir in the herbs and make a well in the centre.
  7. Beat the milk and egg together and pour into the well. Stir into the dry ingredients with the butter.

Cooks Tips

- For a softer topping, cook the dish in a lidded ovenproof dish. The topping will be steamed and be softer.

- If you do not have Mexican-flavoured tomatoes, use plain diced tomatoes and add 1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning or try a taco seasoning mix, adding enough to suit your taste buds.

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