Tamale Pie Made with Leftover Cornbread

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     There goes another Halloween!  I hope yours was terrific!  We didn't get a lot of trick or treaters on the big night, but on the Saturday before, we went to a party at the church with some of our kids and grandkids.  It was a lot of fun!
      There is always a chili dinner at that yearly party, and my son made some terrific homemade chili and some really tasty cornbread muffins to share.  These muffins were really flavorful, and because my son made them, they even had bacon in them!  He made a huge double batch, so there were quite a few left afterwards that we came home with.  For some reason, all of the leftovers were left at my house for my husband and I to eat.  Just the two of us...So, being the way that I am, I couldn't allow these great muffins to go to waste and I decided that a tamale pie sounded like just the thing to make to use them up! 

     I hadn't thought about a tamale pie in years!  Usually, you make a cornmeal batter to add to a meat mixture to make a good tamale pie.  But, my cornbread was already baked, so I had to figure out something new.  I don't know why this idea had never occurred to me before because it seems like whenever there is cornbread, we end up with leftovers and I just don't like it as well the next day.  If you feel that way, too and you have leftover cornbread to use up, keep this recipe in mind because it came out really great. 
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     It was great to be able to put this meal together in my large cast iron skillet on the stovetop and then pop it right into the oven to bake it! No fuss at all! 
       The warm spicy flavors of a tamale pie make a great meal on a crisp Fall evening!  I didn't make ours too spicy because we can't take too much heat, but you can alter the spice level to match your taste.  You could also add some sliced olives or a spicier pepper if you would like.  Another great thing about this recipe is that you will probably have the ingredients in your pantry already! Here is a little mini class on how to make it:

     My husband and I will be eating this for a couple of days! 
     You don't have to use a cornbread that has bacon in it to get a great result, any cornbread will work in this recipe.  And, this is the shredded cheese that I used.

   So, don't waste that leftover cornbread!  I hope this recipe is something you can use! Let me know in the comments if you give it a try! 
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