True Grit Family Meals & Movie Night (#FamilyMeals)

EVENT: True Grit Family Meal
VENUE: The Couch, In Front of the TV
PARTY SIZE: 6
TYPE: Movie Review Party
GRUB: True Grit Tamale Pie (recipe below), Jiffy Pop, Sarsaparilla…Paintin’ Tonsils (beer) optional

To celebrate Family Fun Time, True Grit and the Old West we decided to have a casual ConAgra ChuckWagon #FamilyMeals dinner. Since I managed to cajole the guys into being the ‘Chef du Cinema’ (for once), I kicked up my heels and enjoyed the ride!!!

This recipe is easy enough for novice cooks to handle. It can even be cooked over a fire outside!!!

Of course there were some preparations the day before the True Grit Family Meal. List in hand, my hubby and I hit the trail to Walmart for a few food items we needed for the meal. It was pouring rain as we backed out of the driveway.

By the time we arrived at Walmart it was sunny again but felt like a steam bath!!!

 

I usually stick pretty much to my list when shopping for food. I hate to doddle…it’s in and out for me. But there were some great deals that caught my eye.

I picked up a few extras to go with Movie Night…

Plus we needed to go to Redbox and pick up the flick!!!

 

 

Once home, we started to prep right away. We wanted to get everything ready so the stew could easily be put on the stove right before the movie.

We chopped and grated and mixed. This recipe is a great do ahead one…the flavors really get better if you allow them to mingle overnight in the fridge.

True Grit

While dinner stewed, we settled down with our Jiffy Pop and Sarsaparilla for a family fun night…the TV is on the lanai…

Dinner simmers for about 60 minutes. After the movie, hubby puts the cheese and the cornbread mixture on top and pops it into the oven for 15 minutes. While he is doing this, I get everyone to review the movie.

“True Grit” seized the reins and became the first Western to top the $100 million mark since the 1990s. Directed and Written by the Coen brothers, it stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld, who was nominated for Best Actress In A Supporting Role.

You gotta’ love the spunk of 14-year-old Mattie Ross following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney.  The “true grit,” Reuben J. ‘Rooster’ Cogburn, played by Jeff Bridges was a growling, shuffling, hard drinking and hard to like reprobate.  The smug dandy Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, played by Matt Damon, was great. This was definitely a darker, more austere and more violent version than the earlier version with John Wayne. The guys loved it…me not so much. The ending had a sadness and  gentleness I did not expect. 3 thumbs up for us!!! ~family review

After the movie, we ate outside at the picnic table, just to feel like we are eating on the Florida range…

here is what we ate…

with napkins and Sarsaparilla…

True Grit Skillet Tamale Pie Recipe

Serves : 8 – 10 ~ a little video of my hubby cooking…

INGREDIENTS:

Stew:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Hebrew National hot dogs, cut into bite-sized pieces
stew meat can be used instead of or with the hot dogs
1 cup onions, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 to 2 small jalapenos, seeded and minced
I can Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes
I can Ro-Tel Mexican Fiesta Diced Tomatoes
1 can Van Camp’s Dark Red Beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup beef stock
3 tablespoons chili powder (Note: this is for flavor, not heat)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

Cornbread Topping:
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons Parkay, melted
1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced into rings
Sour cream, optional

DIRECTONS:
Stew: In an 11- to 12-inch oven-proof skillet (2 to 3 in. deep, 2 1/2- to 3-quart capacity), heat the olive oil to glistening, add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and saute for about 10 minutes until softened – do not let brown.

Add the hot dogs, tomatoes, beans, stock, spices, and cilantro. Simmer for 60 minutes to thicken somewhat.

Meanwhile, preheat over to 425*F.

Cornbread topping: While the stew is cooking, whisk buttermilk and egg together in a medium-sized bowl. In a large mixing bowl, blend together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry mix and fold until the dry ingredients are wet. Do not over mix!  Finally, fold in the melted Parkay, scallions and corn.

Sprinkle cheese over the stew mixture. Spoon cornbread batter over the cheese, then spread evenly with spatula. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until cornbread is done (inserted wooden toothpick in center just above the cheese layer should come up clean) – about 10 to 15 minutes.

Top with sour cream. Enjoy!!!

You should know that this shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions, ideas, recipes are 100% my own.qa1