Tamale Pie

APRIL FOOLS. Desptite it being the first of April, it's snowing. The weather is playing a huge prank on us all. So I need some hot comfort now, preferibly, some hot comfort that won't derail my beach body preperations. So here is a Tex-Mexy cassarole that packs a delicious flavor punch, gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that only comes from a hot meal on a cold day, and won't stand in the way of you (or me) from rocking that bikini this summer.

Tamale Pie:
1 1/4 cups of yellow cornmeal
1 tsp of salt
5 1/2 cups of water, divided
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, boiled and shredded - 6.7 oz cooked
1 medium shallot
2 bell peppers
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cup chard
2 cloves of garlic
1 29 oz cups canned plum tomatoes in juices
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 1/3 cups of frozen whole kernal corn
1 1 /2 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
1 cup of 2% shredded cheddar cheese
Red onion, avocado, sour cream/greek yogurt for serving (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot bring 4 cups of water, lightly salted, to a boil. In a small bowl mix the corn meal with remaining 1 1/2 cups of water until smooth. Whisk the corn meal into boiling water, until smooth. Reduce heat to low and cook stirring frequently for 15 minutes, stir in butter. In the meantime, Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dice peppers and shallot and add to the oil. Cook, stirring often until peppers soften and brown slightly, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and juices, broth, seasoning, and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until most of the liquid has absoarbed, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Grease or spray with non-stick a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Spread about 1/3 of the cooked corn meal onto the bottom of the pan, sprinkle the shredded chicken on top, then pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Top with the remaining cornmeal, spreading the cornmeal evenly over the casserole. If you have issues spreading the cornmeal use a wet spatula, it really helps. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden, about 35 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Nutrition Info (calculated from MyFitnessPal):
For 1/6 of casserole
Calories: 302
Carbs: 37 g
Fat: 11 g
Protein: 17 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sugar: 6 g

Happy Eating.