Serves 8
Time: 1 hour || Active time: 30 minutes
Who among us doesn’t love mashed potatoes? Add something spicy, savory and stewy bubbling underneath and it pretty much takes that love over the top and into creepy obsession territory.
Since I’m about to make my first ever foray into the Lone Star State at next weekend’s Texas VegFest in Austin, I was feeling kinda’ Tex-Mex this week. Enter tamale pie! Well, almost. I realized that I was too low on my masa harina to execute a real tamale pie, but what I lacked in corn flour I made up for in potatoes. And thus the Tamale Shepherd’s Pie was born!
A creamy layer of lime-kissed mashed red potatoes over a succulent and spicy stew of black beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, poblano peppers and corn, with a few of the usual southwestern flavors thrown in. To give it true tamale flavor, a few handfuls of crumbled up tortilla chips tossed into the stew do the trick. It’s the perfect meal for these rainy months at the beginning of Spring. I love how the red potatoes look on top, adding flecks of pretty blush. It makes a ton, too, and leftovers taste just as good.
Recipe notes:
To get this done quickly, boil the potatoes first. Then begin the stew. Both components should come together within half an hour and then you just bake and wait. You can adjust the spice level to your liking by (obviously) adjusting the hot sauce and red pepper flakes. As is, I’d say it’s a low-medium spicy. Don’t forget to preheat the oven right about when you add the tomatoes and corn to the stew, that way everything is ready to go.
OK everyone, enjoy and I’ll see you in Texas!
For the mashed potato layer:
2 1/2 lbs unpeeled red potatoes, cut into big chunks (1 1/2 inches or so)
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 scant teaspoon grated lime zest
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
For the stew:
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra)
1 onion, diced medium
1 poblano pepper, seeded, diced medium
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, cut in half and sliced 1/4 inch thick or so
1 cup lightly packed cilantro, chopped
1 1/4 lbs plum tomatoes (about 6), chopped
1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 ounces tortilla chips (about 4 good-sized handfuls)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons Frank’s red hot hot sauce (plus extra for serving)
3 cups cooked black beans (2 15 oz cans rinsed and drained)
I garnished with: Hot red chilis, fresh cilantro and lime slices
Place potatoes in a pot and submerge in salted water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes and immediately transfer them back into the pot. It’s important to do this while everything is still hot. Give them a quick preliminary mash, then add the milk, olive oil, lime zest and salt. Mash until creamy, taste for salt, then cover and set aside. (Note: I usually add black pepper, but decided not to here so that the lime really shines through. If you feel naked without it, though, go ahead and add some.)
To prepare the stew:
Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and pepper in olive oil and a pinch of salt, until peppers are softened, about 10 minutes. In the meantime prep all your other ingredients.
Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds or so. Add mushrooms and cilantro and cook until the mushrooms have released a lot of moisture, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn, wine, salt, cumin and red pepper flakes. Turn heat up and cover the pan, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes. The tomatoes should break down and become saucy (if corn was frozen it may take a bit longer.)
Now take the tortilla chips and crush them into fine crumbs with your hands. It’s ok if there are a few bigger pieces, but aim for crumbs. Add them to the stew and mix well. Since tortillas can be salty, wait until they’re added to taste for salt. Mix in the lime juice and hot sauce, then fold in the black beans and heat through. Now taste for salt and seasonings.
To assemble:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a deep 11×13 casserole (cooking spray works just fine). Transfer the stew to the casserole and even it out with a spatula. Add the potatoes in dollops, and spread it into an even layer.
Place in oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until potatoes are lightly browned. Stick under the broiler for a minute or two just in case the browning isn’t happening. Serve hot garnished with cilantro, chili peppers and lime.
YAY! I like how you’re getting in the spirit! I’m so excited to see your demo at Texas VegFest!
Speechless 🙂 x
I always love a new way to use black beans and tomatos. I can get them organic, in bulk cans so they are showcased in atleast one meal a week at my house. My husband loves mashed potatoes, so I think this will be a hit!
Can’t wait to see you at Texas VegFest!
ooh, this would be great to bring to a party or potluck.. seems it would go over really well with the omni’s
Yeah, I think so. There’s nothing obviously vegan about it.
I’m so excited to see you at Texas VegFest!
Yay, thanks!
I really can’t waith to meet you and see your demo at Texas Veg Fest:) and the Tamale shepherd pie looks wonderful…. too bad I am juice fasting right now.
Definitely making this tomorrow! I love lime in everything—can’t believe I haven’t tried it in potatoes yet!
MY GOD!
Great twist on a classic! How do you come up with this awesome stuff?
Vegan powers.
So glad i found you! Dinner tomorrow.
I was JUST thinking I wanted Shepherd’s Pie! Perfect timing!
First time in the Loan Star State? wow! Can’t wait to see you at Texas VegFest!
Yum! I’ve been craving mashed potatoes
Wow! I just love how you can always take regular ingredients and think outside the box with them!
I’m making this tomorrow for my husband’s homecoming! Thank you! 🙂
I am very excited to make this. I just made your strawberry rhubarb crumble pie from VPITS last night and it came out wonderfully (as your recipes always do)–thanks!!
Made this recipe tonight it was fantastic! The flavor explosion on my tongue was so wonderfully satisfying. Thank you Isa.
I might get to be your wrangler at Texas VegFest!!
i’ve made something like this before, but with a cornbread “crust” underneath instead of potatoes on top!
Running to the store (literally) to buy some cilantro….then this will be mine. Muah ha ha!!!
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it’s your first time in TX! I hope you’ll love Austin 🙂 Can’t wait to see you at the Veg Fest!
Also, this recipe looks like the best ever.
Hmmmmmmm…. Methinks want to make it 🙂 cornbread?
It looks great!!!
Yummers! The fam and I loved it!
Made it tonight. Took me a full hour and 15, but it was worth it. Wonderfu! Even my omnivore husband enjoyed!!
I have a bunch of leftover black bean soup I made from the Vegan with a Vengeance recipe. Do you think this could be adapted to use those beans? Maybe layering cooked corn, tomatoes, and cilantro on top of the beans?
I made this yesterday with yellow and green bell peppers for the poblano and tobasco sauce (2 teaspoons) instead of Frank’s Red Hot, since where I live, I don’t have access to those ingredients. It’s easy to put together, not complicated all, and really quite DELICIOUS. Leftovers for lunch today – extreme comfort food!
This is very exciting. Let´s say somebody did have masa harina on hand, lots of it. What would you have done to make that crust?
Thank you for all your deliciousness
This was so delicious. My roommates and I added sweet potato to the mashed potato mixture and topped everything off with fresh-made guacamole. Wonderful!
SOO GOOD! I made mine with caulipots to make it a bit healthier.
WOW! Soooooo good! A marvelous, healthy, delicious, wholesome, rich, tasty, fulfilling, glorious meal! We love it and will be making it again very very soon! This is the kind of deliciousness that one could make again the next night! It’s so hearty and with so much flavor. The next Thanksgiving dinner I make, I am making this! Thank you Isa for this marvelous creation!
+1 to Mike, the first thing I thought of was that sweet potatoes would be good on top. They just seem to go nicely with Tex-Mex flavors for me.
Side note: I want to go to Austin. So. Very. Badly.
made this tonight. the only issue was my casserole dish was a little deeper more so than it was wide or long. it also made A LOT. also, because my dish was shaped funny, i layered it (stew, potatoes, stew, potatoes. i think though, that the proportion of potatoes to stew, for me, was still a bit off. would have preferred less potatoes. but still, quite yummy and hearty and will be sharing this with friends at potlucks to come! thnx!
This looks so yummy, going to have to give it a go!
This looks divine! I love the addition of wine in the stew. Really deepens the flavors.
making this tonight and cant wait for this weekend!!
I LOOOOOVE shepherd’s pie. And, not gonna lie, I used to eat the little Amy’s tamale pies. So there’s absolutely no reason why I shouldn’t make this as soon as I can get my hands on some poblanos & fresh cilantro! <3
Ah I never liked Shepherd’s Pie but this I need to try! Love your blog!
You may want to check out my blog if you’re into healthy foods, photography and fashion 🙂
Have a wonderful day today, XO
I’m a new vegan, and I’m so lost right now. I’ve been living off of rice cakes and salad, but I need to embrace the abundance of food available to us and this recipe just got my mojo groovin’!! It looks amazing!! Thankyou so much for this inspiration!
Made the stew tonight in anticipation of making the pie tomorrow. It is so delicious- I can’t wait to tuck in! Thanks for the recipe!
This was delicious! And thanks to the Martha Stewart chopper/dicer thing my sister go me and I never thought I would use, it was a breeze! Anything with Frank’s Hot Sauce is going to be good anyway, but lime mashed potatoes put this dish in another orbit all together.
My in-laws and husband loved this (which I’m relieved, I went gaga after 1 bite)! It was comforting, refreshing, and warming all at once. I topped the stew with mashed sweet potatoes, since that’s all I had available. It was great though 🙂
I made this delicious creation over the weekend – it was Ah-mazing! Yes, it was that good, amazing needs 2 syllables… Thank you so much for this! 100% the tastiest dish ever! I’m so looking forward to the leftovers 🙂
Amazing! I have cooked it today and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you for this!
Wow nice! I tried it today and it’s tasty 🙂
Isa, you are so inspiring! I am a mostly-vegetarian with an omni husband/ family and I LOOOOVE your site. I am very much leaning back toward full vegetarianism, so I am grateful for your site with nourishing recipes to satisfy my whole family! Thank you!