Tamale Pie with Chicken

1. Combine chicken, chili powder, 2 tablespoons oil, minced garlic, lime juice, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano in a bowl. Let marinate 8 hours to overnight.

2. Pour chicken with marinade into a pot; add water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes, stirring as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 1 hour.

3. Transfer chicken to a large bowl and shred using 2 forks; set aside and keep warm.

4. Add tomatoes, beans, poblano peppers, jalapeno peppers, onion, and bell pepper to the pot. Cook veggie mixture over medium-high heat until slightly softened and onion is translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust liquid by either adding while cooking covered, or condensing water by cooking uncovered; final product should be the consistency of a thick stew. Combine vegetable mixture with shredded chicken and set filling aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

6. Mix masa flour, chili powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper for crust together in a bowl. Mix in butter and lime juice. Add hot water and mix until dough reaches the consistency of a thick cookie dough; mix or knead thoroughly.

7. Place about 1/2 of the crust mixture into the prepared pan to form a 1/2- to 3/4-inch layer covering the bottom and 3/4 up the sides. Spread filling into crust.

8. Flatten handfuls of remaining crust mixture to about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Lay on top of pie; continue until top is mostly covered. Spread enchilada sauce over crust. Cover with Mexican cheese. Scatter olives on top.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Serve with a little enchilada sauce and a dollop of sour cream on top of each serving.

Cook's Notes:

You can substitute lard or vegetable shortening for the butter, but I prefer the butter flavor in the crust. You can also use low-sodium chicken stock instead of water, if you'd like. You can use 4 packets of Splenda(R) instead of 2 tablespoons sugar for crust, if you'd like.

You can also put the chicken and spices in a slow cooker in the morning and cook all day. There is no need to marinate if you use this method. You will need to use a little extra water or chicken stock than the recipe above to avoid cooking the chicken dry. Don't put the veggies in the slow cooker, or they will lose all their texture. When you are ready to prep the pie remove the chicken from the pot and shred. Pour the broth into a pot and boil until reduced until about 1 cup of liquid remains. Add veggies to the pot and continue with method above.

Editor's Note:

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full package amount of enchilada sauce and sour cream. The actual amount of sauce and sour cream consumed will vary.