Today was tortilla pie day

[Ilsa]

filling:
1 pound ground chuck, tbsp garlic, chopped onions, chopped green bell pepper, one small jalapeno, all browned/sauted in olive oil. Season meat with Chili Mix seasoning (about 2 tbsp). Drain excess grease. Add some ranch style beans, drained. Add 1-2 cups of cheap picate sauce. simmer while preparing corn bread. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Corn bread:
1 1/2 cups corn meal
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (makes the cornbread more "stout")
2 tsp salt (no sugar in this recipe, extra salt)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup shortening or veg oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Mix corn bread ingredients. Pour 1/2 of cornbread mix into greased 9x12 baking dish. spoon filling on top. spread 1 cup grated cheddar cheese on top. Pour remaining cornbread mix on top. Bake at 425 for twenty minutes. Last five minutes, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top and cook until it melts and begins to harden slightly. It's done when the corn bread is browning. Inside, the cheese will be melted and moist.

The filling really depends on what I have on hand. Sometimes it is more tomato-y if I use some frozen homemade chili.

Chili Mix seasoning: whatever seasonings you like in your chili, or a premix by Bolner Fiesta Brand with salt, chili pepper, paprika, comino,cayenne and garlic.

[The empressof all]

1. I love these kinds of dinners

I make something real similar. It's really good if you add some drained canned or frozen corn and some diced Jalapenos to the corn bread batter. I like the melty cheese under the corn bread.

[Ilsa]

2. Yeah, I add corn sometimes to the filling or the cornbread.

That's the fun part about these recipes: you can make little adjustments for more or less heat, more or less tomato flavor, cheese, etc. This a also good with monterrey jack cheese added.