Oooh, was this ever good. A simple pie crust filled with a mixture of ground beef, green chiles, corn, and a bunch of tasty Southwest seasonings. Then each slice is enhanced with a little milk gravy and some chopped parsley.
First I went to my cookbook shelves and pulled out one of the community-type ones that I’ve had since the late 1960’s. They’re full of options for ground beef, which back in the 60’s was the standard dinner staple. I went through my usual ritual – no, I don’t want pasta, which eliminated at least 80% of the casserole type dishes. No, I didn’t want stroganoff, or meatballs, or Lazy Day Casserole (there must have been 15 with that title!). No, I didn’t want potatoes with it. Or rice. No, not chili either. Then I spotted this recipe. The seasonings sounded good. But I’d only defrosted 1 pound of ground beef instead of 2 called for. So I improvised. I added more green chiles and I had about 2 cups of frozen corn, so that went in there in lieu of the 2nd pound of ground beef. I also amped up the seasonings as well. I made a bit more of the sauce too (a milk gravy with just the addition of Worcestershire sauce).
First I made the piecrust. A simple recipe – one that includes an egg and milk. I changed the recipe a bit and used unsalted butter instead of shortening. I also mixed it in the food processor. The meat was cooked gently, then I added onion, and green chiles (I had a nice package of roasted Hatch chiles in the freezer – gosh were they ever good, but you can just use ordinary canned green chiles), and then some frozen corn. I added ground cumin, chili powder, dry mustard plus salt and pepper. I tasted it to see what else might be needed. Nothing that I could think of.
Then I carefully put the top crust on it, crimped the edges, made a few steam-vent slices in the top and it baked for 35 minutes. Done. Meanwhile, I made the gravy, which took no time at all. Served it up to raves.
What I liked: overall, the great taste. Loved the spices – and the chiles – and I liked the corn texture in it too. All of it delicious.
What I didn’t like: nothing, really. The piecrust is a bit of a pain to make, but you could easily use refrigerator crusts if you’re piecrust-challenged.
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Spicy Hamburger, Green Chile and Corn Pie
Recipe By: Adapted from an old community cookbook
Serving Size: 6 (maybe more)
CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 large egg — beaten
1/3 cup 2% low-fat milk
FILLING:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion — diced
6 ounces chopped green chiles
2 cups corn — fresh or frozen
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup chili sauce — jarred
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste (it may not need salt)
SAUCE:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons Italian parsley — chopped, for garnish
1. CRUST: To the bowl of a food processor add flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse briefly to mix dry ingredients. Cut chilled butter into 8 chunks and add to workbowl. Pulse until most of the butter is incorporated, but small bits are visible. Add milk/egg mixture and pulse just until it’s mixed and the dough has begun to form a ball.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured board, cut in half (with the bottom crust half slightly larger than the other). Roll larger half evenly to fit bottom of a deep 9-inch pie pan. Roll other piece and cover with a towel while you prepare the filling.
3. FILLING: In a large nonstick frying pan saute lean ground beef until all the pink has gone, breaking up pieces as necessary. Add chopped onion and continue cooking until onion is translucent. Add green chiles, corn, ketchup, chili sauce and seasonings. Add salt only if needed, and sprinkle with pepper. Cook just long enough to warm through all the ingredients.
4. Spoon filling mixture into the pie crust, doming it slightly in the middle if it’s really full.
5. Carefully place top crust on top, trim edges and seal them well, crimping edges for decoration. Cut four 1-inch slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
6. Bake in a 350° oven for 35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown; allow to rest 5 minutes, then slice in wedges and serve with cream sauce and sprinkle with Italian parsley for garnish.
7. SAUCE: In a heavy pan melt butter and when it’s bubbling well (but not burning) add flour all at once. Stir well until all the flour is smooth and the mixture is bubbling. Combine in a measuring cup all the milk and Worcestershire sauce. Mix it well, then pour it all at once into the flour/butter mixture. Stir constantly as it heats up to a low simmer. If it’s too thick add a tablespoon or two of milk to reach the consistency you prefer.
Per Serving: 714 Calories; 43g Fat (53.2% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 160mg Cholesterol; 607mg Sodium
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