1940's Tamale Pie

 Ingredients:

***Cornmeal Mush:***
1 cup cornmeal  (or substitute 2 boxes corn muff mix and make according to package)
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups boiling water or chicken stock
2 teaspoons salt
***Tamale Pie:***
8 tablespoons butter
4 cups cooked cornmeal mush
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper
1/3 cup chili powder or to taste
3 tablespoons butter or oil
4 cups cooked ground beef
2 pimientos, chopped
1 1/2 cup black pitted olives (or less), roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
To cook cornmeal mush: stir 1 cup of cornmeal into 1/2 cup cold water to moisten it, in the top of a double boiler. Then add 3 1/2 cups boiling water or chicken stock and 2 tsps salt; mix well. Set the top over the bottom of the boiler, filled with 1 to 2 inches of boiling water, put a lid on the top and steam the cornmeal for 30 to 45 minutes until the water is all absorbed.     (or substitute 2 boxes corn muff mix and make according to package)

For tamale pie: Beat butter into hot cooked cornmeal; set aside. Fry onion, garlic and bell pepper with chili powder in 3 Tbsp butter or oil until vegetables are just slightly softened, 2 or 3 minutes. Add cooked meat, pimientos, olives and season to taste. Put a layer of cornmeal mush in a baking dish, add the layer of meat filling and cover with another layer of mush. Bake in preheated 350F oven until the mush is crusty on top, about 30 minutes.