Crockpot Tamale Pie

This is a recipe my mom used to make on the stove.  After looking at a few crockpot recipes, this is the version I came up with.

For filling:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 14.4 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Organic)

dash of salt, pepper to taste

1 16 oz. jar salsa (do not use fresh, uncooked salsa)

1 15 oz can kidney beans (you can use black or pinto beans too)

2 cups frozen corn

1 2.25 oz can sliced olives

Brown ground beef.  As it begins to brown, add cumin seed, salt and pepper.

Once the beef has browned, add additional ingredients.  Allow to cook until about 1/2 the liquid evaporates (you don't want a lot of liquid in the filling because it will make for mushy crust)  Taste the filling, if it tastes a little too vinegary, add 1 tsp sugar.

For crust:

3/4  cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1/8 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, grated

Mix all ingredients for cornbread together in large bowl as filling cooks down.  Put filling on the bottom and layer the cornbread on the top.  Cook in crockpot for 4 hours on low.

I cooked it for 6 hours and the cornbread topping was a little burned around the edges.  

I always prep my crockpot dishes on Sunday night and refrigerate them so I can pull them out the next morning and put them in the cooking unit.  

Enjoy!