Secret Tamale Pie! (shhh!)

I love tamales, especially the green corn tamales. The texture and flavor of the sweet corn masa gets me every time. Since becoming more aware of the carbs I eat, and trying to minimize them as much as possible, I have discovered roasted cauliflower as a base for a number of dishes including pizza crust and mashed potatoes. Then, it occurred to me. Why not make a tamale masa out of roasted, mashed cauliflower? Well, you know I had to try it and wow, it is fabulous! That's the secret of this tamale pie recipe--roasted cauliflower masa. This recipe makes enough for six. Yum!

Ingredients

• Two medium heads of cauliflower
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup fresh finely-grated parmesan cheese
• 1 5-ounce can corn kernels, drained
• 18 ounces chorizo 
• One onion, chopped
• 12 ounces of mild, chopped, roasted green chiles (3 4-ounce cans)
• 2 cups shredded cheese (colby and jack mixture works well)

Method 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400º F.
2. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. Clean the leaf stems from the heads of cauliflower and slice heads into 1/2 inch slices.
4. Arrange cauliflower slices on the baking sheet.
5. Bake cauliflower in oven for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes.
6. While the cauliflower is cooking, sauté the chorizo in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
7. Remove chorizo from pan leaving as much of the grease in the pan as possible.
8. Sauté the chopped onions in the chorizo grease until translucent, about 10-12 minutes.
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 350º F.
10. Grease a 13" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray.
11. To make the masa, combine the cauliflower, oregano, eggs, corn, and parmesan cheese in a food processor and process for about 30 seconds until well combined. The consistency should be like a paste.
12. Using a spatula, spread the cauliflower mixture evenly in the baking dish.
13. Mix the onions, chorizo, and green chiles and spread evenly over the cauliflower mixture.
14. Evenly distribute the shredded cheese over the top of the mixture in the baking dish.
15. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown and is bubbly.
16. Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes. Slice into squares and serve!

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