Cornbread Pie For Mission USA

On Tuesday, I and a team of my friends will be serving dinner at the Bridge a service for inmates and recently released prisoners attempting to correct the direction of their lives. After volunteering to do this, without the financial support of a church to underwrite the project, I came to realize how costly it would be to feed 85 people.

The question became, how do I feed 85 people food that is delicious and affordable. I tried many of my best recipies and decided that none of them were optimum considering the food temperature issue associated with feeding 85 people without catering equipment.

I went home at lunch to try my hand at a meal that can be served room temperature and it still delicious and unique. I am calling it cornbread pie and I made it in a Full size catering pan.

CORNBREAD INGREDIENTS (x2 batches)
4 Cups of Cornmeal (x2) ($1.99- used 1/2 package)
1 QT Buttermilk (x2) ($1.99 - half gallon used all)
4 Eggs Beaten (x2) ($0.99 4 remaining)
4 TBS Corn Oil (x2) ($2.09 lots left over)

Vegetable Mix Ingredients
1 Can Rotel Mild ($1.09)
1 Can Yellow Sweet Corn ($.59)
1 Can Pinto Beans ($.59)
1 Can White Hominy ($.59)

REMAINING INGREDIENTS
2 lbs Ground Beef ($4.25)
1 Pkg Taco Seasoning ($.99)

2 Lbs Shredded Cheddar ($7.98)

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
Brown the beef using the taco seasoning
Open, drain, and mix all the canned vegetables.
Mix Cornbread in 2 Batches
Pour the first batch of cornbread across the botoom of the well oiled catering pan
Mix the vegetables into the cornbread batter
Top the batter/vegetable mix with the beef and 1.5 punds of cheese
Pour the second batch of cornbread over the top
Bake uncovered for 50 minutes on a middle rack
Top with remaining cheese and let bake for 5 additional minutes.

All together it cost about $20 a pan to make this and 1 pan should comfortably serve 10 people.