Vegan Tamale Pie

I create meal plans weekly to not only save money but to reduce stress. When I make my meal plan for the week I like to start the week with a casserole dish. My weeks don’t always go as planned, so it helps to have something that I can heat up quickly at home instead of going out to grab something. Since school started, casserole dishes make a big portion of my weekly meal plan. Between classes and work, cooking is the last thing I want to do some days. To shake things up each week, I explore different types of recipes but I do have a few go-to’s when I’m short on time. One of them being vegan tamale pie. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients.

Vegan Tamale Pie

For filling: 

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 cups of soaked lentils
• Dissolve 1 not-beef cube in 2 cups of hot water
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 can of Rotel (drained)
• Bell pepper (diced)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cumin
• 1o ounce can of enchilada sauce

Instructions: 

1. In a large pan or pot on medium heat, saute onion, garlic, and pepper until tender. Then add Rotel, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and cumin. Stir until combined.
2. Next, stir in lentils. Once everything is combined add vegan beef broth and stir until combined.
3. Lastly, let everything simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. If lentils start to stick to the pan add more broth or water. Once tender remove from heat, stir in enchilada sauce, and set aside.

For corn breading topping: 

• 1 1/4 all-purpose flour
• 3/4 yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons of water

Instructions: 

1. Start by preheating your oven to 375 F. Then grease a 9 x 13 pan. In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil, and flaxseed mixture. Mix until well-combined.
2. Next, pour lentil filling into a greased 9 x 13 pan. After that pour batter over lentil filling, then use a knife or spatula to spread it over the filling.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.

Notes: 

• Topping ideas: vegan sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce.
• Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3-5 days.
• Get the print-friendly version here.

Related post: Vegan Enchiladas

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