Carnitas Tamale Pie Night

Well, we've had some Carnitas (or Spanish for pulled pork) in the fridge for a few days, and I wanted to make something fast, or at least easy prep, so I thought why not make a casserole-ish dish?
What did I come up with, a lighter version of tamales, better known as a tamale pie! YUM
I looked up some recipes, found one that helped me figure out my main steps, and decided on a Verde (green) sauce would work well with my pulled pork.  Luckily I have tons of Mexican ingredients in my fridge, including Anaheim chiles which are so tasty.  Here's the recipe:

Carnitas Verde Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

Casserole Topping:
1 cup masa harina
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground Cayenne pepper
1 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp baking powder


Casserole base:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Anaheim or Poblano chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cans Salsa Verde, 7-8oz each
1 lb leftover carnitas, or pulled pork (also can substitute with any lean ground meat)
1 can white beans, drained; such as Navy or Cannellini
1 Tbsp ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Chili powder
1/4 tsp dried Oregano
salt to taste

Garnish:
3oz Queso Fresco (can use Monterey Jack, or Mozzerella if needed)
2 Tsbp fresh Cilantro, chopped
lime wedges

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the masa harina, salt, and cayenne, stirring well with a whisk.  Add water to mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.  Cover until ready to use.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  *If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use any large, nonstick skillet as long as it can take the heat of a 400 degree oven.  Add oil to pan, and allow it to heat up before adding vegetables.  This should take just about 30 seconds.  Add onion, and allow to cook for two minutes.  Add garlic, chile pepper, and mushrooms, cooking for an additional two minutes. Once this is done, you can add the rest of the ingredients for casserole base.  Cook until sauce is gently bubbling. This will take about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.
4. Add melted butter and baking powder to masa mixture/base, stirring until smooth.  Press the masa mixture in palm of hands, then lay each piece on top of the casserole base.  Spread out into an even layer.  If there are small spaces with the masa mixture, it is okay.
5. Cover pan with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned around edges.
6. Remove from heat, and allow to set for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco and cilantro; serving with lime wedges.