Beef Tamale Pie

The crust here is a batter, not a dough. Green plantain and cassava flour go into a blender with oil and a little coconut milk, and what pours out sets in the oven into a top that goes deep gold and holds a slice. A green plantain has not converted its starch to sugar yet, which is what lets it set rather than sweeten.

Take the tang seriously. 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup of sliced black olives are carrying the job tomato and chili powder would normally do in a tamale pie, and without them the filling reads flat rather than familiar. Green plantain is also one of the more potassium-dense starches on this protocol, and potassium is involved in fluid balance and in how muscles and nerves fire.

A casserole is supposed to be the easy option, and this one asks for a blender first. That is the trade the elimination phase keeps offering: a little more work up front for a dish you can eat without thinking about it afterward. Let it rest 10 minutes before you cut it, then put the whole pan on a table.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (see below for second teaspoon reserved for crust)
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For the plantain-cassava crust:

• 2 green plantains, peeled and sliced (about 2 to 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup cassava flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (add gradually for consistency)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon unfortified nutritional yeast (optional)

AIP note on black pepper: The original source includes 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper in the filling. Black pepper is a seed spice excluded on the AIP elimination phase. Omit it entirely during elimination. It may be reintroduced as part of a structured reintroduction later.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish or similar.
2. Make the filling: heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the ground beef and garlic powder and cook, breaking the beef apart, until browned through and no longer pink. Stir in the sea salt.
3. Add the black olives, pumpkin puree, green onions, and red wine vinegar. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt. Transfer the beef mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
4. Make the plantain crust: place the sliced green plantains and cassava flour in a blender or food processor. Add the olive oil, 1/4 cup of the coconut milk, and sea salt. Blend until as smooth as possible. The batter should be thick but pourable. If it is too stiff to pour, add additional coconut milk a tablespoon at a time and blend again until it loosens. If using, add the unfortified nutritional yeast and blend briefly to incorporate.
5. Pour the plantain batter over the beef filling and spread it into an even layer with the back of a spoon or a spatula. It does not need to be perfectly smooth.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the crust is set, no longer wet-looking in the center, and lightly golden at the edges.
7. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This rest time allows the crust to firm up and makes slicing much cleaner.

*Adapted from Autoimmune Wellness*