Reporter’s Recipes: Tamale Pie, Pita Pizza & Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Hot Tamale Pie
Ingredients
cooking spray
2 pounds ground beef
2 cups diced poblano peppers 1 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
2 (8.5 ounce) boxes dry corn muffin mix
2 eggs 2/3 cup milk
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Cook and stir ground beef in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat starts to brown and release juices, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in poblano peppers, salt, salsa, oregano, and chipotle powder; cook and stir until seasoned beef is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
Mix one package of corn muffin mix in a large bowl with 1 egg and 1/3 cup of milk. Whisk to combine. In a separate large bowl, mix the second package of corn muffin mix with 1 egg, 1/3 cup of milk and half the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
Spread the prepared corn muffin mixture without cheese into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle corn over the muffin mix, followed by remaining half of the cheeses, then the beef mixture.
Spoon the corn muffin mix with cheese on top of the beef and carefully spread over the top with a fork, leaving about half an inch from the edges of the pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown.

 

Pita Pizza
Ingredients
6 pita breads
1 (6.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1 ounce diced pimento peppers, drained
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
4 ounces blue cheese,
crumbled 1 pinch dried basil
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch crushed coriander seed
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Warm pitas in the preheated oven or in a microwave for 1 minute, or until soft. Spread lightly with tomato sauce, pressing to flatten while spreading. Sprinkle with black olives, pimento peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, blue cheese, basil, oregano and coriander.
Spread the pitas on a large baking sheet and place in the preheated oven 8 minutes, or until the pita bread has reached desired crispness. Serve whole, or cut into slices.

 

Chocolate Eclair Dessert
Ingredients
2 individual packages graham crackers
2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting
Directions
Line the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan with graham crackers.
In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk; stir well. Mix whipped topping into pudding mixture. Spread half of mixture over graham cracker layer. Top with another layer of graham crackers and the remaining pudding.
Top all with a final layer of graham crackers and frost with chocolate frosting. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving to allow the graham crackers to soften.