Mexican Shepherd’s Pie

Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.

The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning mix
2 diced jalapenos
3/4 cup hot water
1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8.5 oz) package of corn muffin mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
1 (2.25 oz) can sliced black olives (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place the beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly brown and onion is tender. Drain grease. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in the tomatoes and jalapenos and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and top evenly with corn.

Prepare the corn muffin mix according to package directions. Spread evenly over the corn layer in the baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until puffed and golden. Garnish with olives and cheese.

Serves 8.

Adapted from a recipe from allrecipes.com