Tamale Pie

The meal that Fenna (and the others) enjoyed so much? Tamale pie, from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow. Simple and nutritious!

Ingredients:

For the filling:
2 cups black beans (if using tinned, drain and rinse them)
2 cups diced tomatoes (the recipe calls for a 15-oz can of 'fire-roasted tomatoes'; I used a large tin of regular diced)
2 cups corn niblets
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup shredded cheese

For the topping:
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 large egg
(The recipe also called for a quarter cup sugar, but I am actively revolted by the idea of putting sugar into a main course. Ugh, bleah, ick. No sugar in mine. It tasted just fine without!)

Method:
Dump all the filling ingredients into a slow cooker. (The recipe said to use a 4-litre one; mine's six, and it worked just fine.)

Stir well to distribute the spices. You won't be able to stir again once the topping's on, so make sure it's a thorough enough stir that you don't have lumps.

In a separate bowl, mix the topping ingredients, then pour evenly over the filling, spreading with the back of a spoon or a spatula as required.

Cover and cook on low for 4 - 7 hours. (I found 4 hours was ample. It ended up being set to warm for the remaining 5 hours till dinner time -- and was just fine!)