Tamale Pie

A tamale pie is a tamale-like concoction, usually made with a meaty filling and cornmeal or masa topping. It’s meant to be an easier way to enjoy the flavors of Mexican tamales in a fraction of the time. This version is filled with ground beef, tomatoes, and corn, with a simple cornmeal mush topping. Feel free to add some cheese if you like and experiment with different fillings. It makes a tasty, satisfying weeknight meal.

Recipe Variations

• Meat: Replace the ground beef with lean ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Or use a combination of beef and pork. Shredded meat or chicken are also excellent options.
• Crust: Instead of a top and bottom corn mush crust, top the filling with your favorite cornbread batter. You can use this recipe for American cornbread or this Mexican cornbread.
• Vegetarian: Replace the meat with black beans or a meat substitute.

Tamale Pie

Diana

Looking for a quick and easy dinner idea? Try tamale pie! This hearty dish features a meaty filling and a cornmeal or masa topping that’s sure to satisfy.

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Servings 4 servings

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Course One Pot Meals

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  

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• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 pound lean ground beef, round or chuck
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 can, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can, 12 ounces kernel corn or Mexican-style corn
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided use
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped ripe olives, optional
• Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish, optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and ground beef; cook, stirring, until the beef is browned and the onion is tender.
• Add the tomatoes, corn, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, and chili powder to the beef; set aside.
• In a saucepan over high heat, bring the 3 cups of water to a boil. Gradually whisk the cornmeal into the boiling water along with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the cornmeal is very thick.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg; quickly beat it into the cornmeal mush. Add the chopped ripe olives, if using.
• Spread half of the cornmeal mixture over the bottom of the casserole. Top with the beef filling. Spoon the remaining cornmeal batter over the beef filling.
• Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• If desired, top with the shredded cheese 5 minutes before it’s done.

Keyword tamale pie

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