Rogelio’s tamale pie for cinco de mayo

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There are good tamales and they are great tamales, but a greatest way to prepare it is in pie! This gives you a wonderful way to make the filling generous… And in this I mean… Meaty!

What could be more meaty than a pound of steak, a pound of charizo and a pound of bacon? All of the meats are pre cooked and seasoned.

There are two parts to the process… Making the filling and making the topping! Since the filling contains a cup of the topping you will want to finish them at the same time.

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THE FILLING

2 cups corn meal
12 ounces half and half
12 ounces cream
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder to taste
Cook over a low heat until thickened then add chopped Cilantro … I use a “bunch”
2 cups of your favorite Mexican cheeses

MEATS

I like to precook the meats in a frying pan separately with seasoning.

Also dice and sauté on large sweet onion and 3 heaping tablespoons garlic… Then add to meats and set aside.

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The SAUCE

Approx 15 ounce can of creamed corn
Approx 30 ounces of tomato sauce
3 teaspoons of Pimenton (Spanish Paprika )
1 teaspoon Chipotle powder
Approximately 13 roasted peppers sliced
3.8 ounce can of sliced olives (1/2 cup)
1 cup of topping
2 cups Mozzarella
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder to taste

Cook over a low heat around twenty minutes, remove from heat and add meats and 3 cups hominy

Pour into a large baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about one hour.

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Bueno!!!

Happy Karla de Mayo

karla's wonderful drawings
artwork by Karla

For those who don’t know this month well, you may not know that this is Karla’s birthday month! Karla has informed me years ago that everyone has a birthday, that one special day each year we celebrate their birth DAY, but since she is special, she gets a birthday all month long! Think of it as a thirty day Hanukkah with a present every day.

Karla has a way of lightening the mood , she makes wonderful drawings to help remind all of us of some important things in life …and sometimes I can’t help but smile, like this little cartoon about one of the common irritants on the road around here.

Happy Cinco de Mayo… and yes, Happy Karla de Mayo ,too!

Roger