Meatless Main Dish

Lately I've been trying to feed my family less meat. Not no meat, just less. Mostly because of this which made me reconsider this. Even Greg's on board. He, who if given the chance, would eat only steak and a wide selection of beverages. (He loves almost all beverages but that's a story for another day.) I guess he can't argue with the Word of Wisdom. Anyway, it's been a struggle to find recipes that have no meat, are quick, easy, nutritious, and the whole family will like. But I discovered recently a "Meatless Main Dishes" section in my favorite cookbook, Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. You know, the red and white checkered one. I think every kitchen in America should have this cookbook. It includes a "Beans, Rice, and Grains" section (hello, food storage!) which is where you'll find the meatless main dishes. Last week I made their Two-Bean Tamale Pie and it was great so I thought I'd share the recipe. It made enough to feed my whole family dinner and for Greg to take as lunch the next day. What's also great about this recipe is that it was small enough to cook in my toaster oven (I had to remove my stash first) which saved some electricity.



Two-Bean Tamale Pie

1 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 large)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cooking oil
1 - 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed
1 - 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed, drained, and slightly mashed
1 - 6 oz. can (2/3 cup) vegetable juice
1 - 4 oz. can diced green chile peppers, undrained
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 - 8 1/2 oz. package corn muffin mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley

1. Grease a 2-quart square baking dish or 10-inch quiche dish; set aside. In a medium skillet cook sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in kidney beans, pinto beans, vegetable juice, chile peppers, chili powder, and cumin; heat through. Spoon bean mixture into prepared dish.

2. Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions; add cheese and cilantro, stirring just until combined. Spoon cornbread mixture evenly over the top of the bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven about 25 minutes or until golden. If desired serve with salsa and sour cream.