Description
Tamale Pie is a hearty and comforting dish featuring a savory ground beef and vegetable filling topped with a creamy, cheesy cornmeal crust. This oven-baked casserole blends Mexican-inspired spices with a smooth cornbread topping, perfect for a satisfying family meal.
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- 1 ½ pounds 85% to 90% ground beef
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen yellow corn (no need to thaw)
- 2.25 ounces canned sliced black olives (drained)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cornmeal Topping
- 1 ½ cups milk (2%)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
To Serve
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Hot sauce (like Cholula)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 13- x 9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook meat mixture: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef together with the diced onion and green bell pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease from the pan. Stir in the minced garlic, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, frozen corn, sliced black olives, salt, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Bring this mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add cheese to meat mixture: Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the meat mixture and let it simmer until the cheese melts. Then, transfer this mixture evenly into the prepared casserole dish.
- Make cornmeal topping: In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk, sugar, salt, and butter until the butter is melted. Lower the heat to low and stir in the cornmeal gradually, stirring vigorously with each addition until smooth. Continue to stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat, then stir in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs while stirring vigorously to combine everything evenly.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the cornmeal topping over the meat mixture in the casserole dish, spreading it out evenly. It’s okay if it doesn’t reach all edges. Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F for 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and bubbly around the edges.
- Cool and serve: Remove the tamale pie from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with sour cream, tortilla chips, and your favorite hot sauce like Cholula for added flavor.
Notes
- You can adjust the level of spice by adding more or less crushed red pepper according to your taste.
- Use 2% milk for a good balance of creaminess without being too rich; whole milk can also be substituted.
- If you prefer a milder tomato flavor, use tomato puree instead of tomato sauce.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven or microwave and make for great next-day meals.
- For a gluten-free meal, confirm that your chili powder and other spices are certified gluten-free.
