New Mexico Dinner Cornbread

I thought I had blogged this recipe at one point, but I couldn't find it. I really should tag my entries for easier searching, but I forget. Last night, I tweeted about it and had multiple requests, so I just decided to post it for others. This recipe is adapted from a great cause and a favorite cookbook, Seasons of Santa Fe. Buying this cookbook supports the work of Kitchen Angels, an organization that helps provide food for those homebound and in need. A friend of mine (Astro D for those that know her) volunteers there, and I'm thrilled to plug it whenever possible.

First, just a word about spice. My kids don't care for it; the husband and I do. So, to compensate and please multiple palates I do strange things. If your family is all on the same page, spice-wise, life is easier. But, in spite of the mini-contortions, it's a one-dish meal. Add a good green salad and you're all set.


Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
spices, to taste (1 tsp ground cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, ground pepper)
1 recipe cornbread batter (follows)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 7 oz can green chile
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Tonight I used a combination of mild italian sausage (not in a casing, the kind you get in a shrinkwrapped pack) and lean ground beef. It doesn't really matter which meats you use--this happened to be what I had leftover, already cooked in the fridge, from spaghetti a few nights ago. You want to saute a combined total of about a pound of meat, with the medium onion, thinly diced (this meat actually also had finally diced carrots in it as well). Add garlic and whatever spicing your family likes, and cook for a few more minutes. If everyone likes green chiles add one 7 oz can when you add the spices, otherwise stay tuned. Drain the fat, and then set aside.

Cornbread recipe
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup sugar (you can use less, but I always use at least 1/8 c because that's how we do it in the South)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten


To the cornbread mixture, add 1 1/2 cups frozen corn. Oil a 8x8 pan (or 9x9) or a cast iron skillet--your preference. Add half of the corn/cornbread mixture. Sprinkle the meat mixture evenly on top of the cornbread batter. Then, add the green chiles. I put chiles only on half of the cornbread dish because the small people who inhabit the house have not yet developed their taste for spice (I reserve a few so I can put them on top to mark the boundary of the chile side and don't get them mixed up).

Next, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the meat mixture; finally, top with the remaining cornbread batter. Bake for 50 minutes until lightly golden. You can garnish with sour cream or salsa. My husband and I like green chile enchilada sauce poured over the top, but the children once again are suspicious of that green spicy stuff (which isn't even that spicy). They like theirs plain. One dish, multiple tastes. Everyone eats happily.

You can vary the meats and vegetables, and it's a surprisingly versatile dish. The kids like it a lot. A good way to use up odds-and-ends leftover meat and vegetables as you can vary what you include and change the spicing to fit the ingredients. It feeds all four of us, with plenty of leftovers.