The Mexican Chicken Casserole You Should Make Tonight

For those nights when you get home hungry, stressed, and impatient, Hangry is here to help. Each Monday, Kendra Vaculin will share quick, exciting meals to rescue anyone who might be anxiously eyeing a box of minute rice.

Today: A hearty, one-pot dinner that's basically Mexican shepherd's pie.

Because a hearty, scoopable meal is the stuff of December dreams,

Because a one-pot chicken chili with a baked polenta-y topping does all of the heavy lifting for you,

Because my dad could not stop calling it "mexi-quiche,"

Today we make tamale pie.

Chicken Tamale Pie

Serves 6

For the chili:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans beans, drained and rinsed (I used one black, one Great Northern)
1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
One 4-ounce can hot green chiles 
One 12-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice 
1/4 cup chicken stock (optional)

For the topping:

2 cups water
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by James Ransom