Nostalgia, Family Heirloom Recipes & Tamale Pie

This year has been a year of blessing for my family. My parents moved to Texas, from California, after being in the Golden State for over sixty years so that we can all be close together. They now live 18 minutes door to door from my home. My sister came back to Texas, from Maui (yes, everyone wants to know why but its Texas so we get it!) the year before. Now we are all close and can be together again. We have not lived together for over 20 years! My brother also joined us here in Texas and the brother to my brother-in-law just moved here from Michigan. Needless to say, we are making quite the historical migration in the Kincaid-Stahl-Hadley Clan. 

 

During the time that my parents were preparing their lives to make that move, which took about two years from conception to actual drive the U-Haul across state lines date, my Grandfather passed away and left all of his many family treasures with my father. In that collection of items were the recipes from my Great Grandmother, Grandmother, and my own Mother- along with Great-Aunts, cousins twice removed and so forth and so forth. These recipes are the stuff of life- literally. The recipes fed my Grandfather, my dad and my siblings and I are now in my hands. They are such a treasure to behold and now I have the opportunity to teach my own son the flavors of our family. 

As I go through these recipes, some written on scraps of paper, some typed from archaic typewriters and others handwritten on the classic recipe share-card, I am moved by the nostalgia of it all. Nostalgia is a wonderful gift given to us by God. The Bible tells us, “Taste and see what the Lord has done.” Taste and see. I feel as if I am walking down memory lane while tasting the stories, and the blessings of my kin and the nostalgia of it all is quite lovely. Not being one to hoard things, I have decided to make this into a collection for my siblings to have to share in their homes. That project is going to take a while to perfect so in the meantime, I thought I’d give you all a special gift from my heart this season. 

All through December, my blog and podcast will be sprinkled with the perfected recipes of my family, for you to make for your family and friends. These are hearty, classic American meals that can be shared with everyone you know. I know you will love them and enjoy every bite, too! I cannot invite you all to my home to eat, though I would love having you here, so this is my way to share something I treasure with you. 

Guten Appetite and Merry Christmas!

(Feel free to vary your recipes as you see fit! Send me any changes you do and I will make notes for my family. Thank you!)

Tamale Pie 

Ingredients:

1 C. Chopped Onion 

1 C. Choppped, seeded, green pepper

1 lb. Ground Beef

2 8 oz. cans seasoned tomato sauce

1 12 oz. can whole kernel corn- drained

1 C. black olives (I made mine without this)

1/4 cup minced garlic

1 tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2-3 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 Cps. shredded cheddar cheese

dash of pepper

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Corn Meal Topper Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups cornmeal 

1/2 tsp salt

2 Cps. Water

1 tbs. mayonnaise

Heat over to 375. (You can make this meal and cook it later as well.) Cook onion and pepper in oil or bacon grease until tender, add ground beef and next 8 ingredients. Simmer for 2-25 mins. until thick and cooked thoroughly. Mix ingredients periodically and make sure beef is crumbly. Add cheese and mix until melted through beef and veggies. Pour into a baking dish. 

Cornmeal topper: pour corn meal and salt in hot water and then cook over med heat until thick. Add mayo and mix thoroughly. Spoon over the meat mixture and spread as evenly as possible. 

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Makes 6-8 large servings. I fed 8 people with leftovers. 

Serve with heated black beans or green salad and salsa. I topped mine with avocado slices. This would be yummy topped with sour cream too.