What could be better on a cold evening than warm casserole or groung beef in spicy tomato sauce and topped with crunchy, cheesy cornbread.
I love Tamale pie, It’s warm, comforting and very satisfying. It has loads of spicy Mexican flavor. Though, Tamale Pie is definitely not Mexican. The earliest version using a cornmeal crust was from a cookbook published in 1911. Though there are similar ones dating to the 1890s using a wheat crust. During World War 1, a cookbook suggested that tamale pie was a great recipe because it used corn instead of hard to find wheat. Tamale pie probably originated in Texas and spread throughout the west from there.
You could use ground turkey, or go all fancy and add adobe chilies. However this is not high-end food, it’s comfort food at it’s best. I used two packages of a common cheap brand of cornbread mix, you could, by all means, make your own or use a more expensive box. The box mix is always how I’ve made tamale pie. You just need enough batter to cover a 13X9 dish.
Tamale Pie is very easy; you can have it in the oven in 25 minutes. It keeps well and makes great lunches if you have any leftovers at all! This makes a great dish to take to a potluck; it travels well and can be reheated easily. I usually serve this with sour cream and chopped avocado, though lately, I’ve switched to nonfat Greek yogurt and it’s fabulous.
Comfort food at it's best. This Casserole is great for any occasion.
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 15.25 oz can of corn kernals
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup sliced green onions
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese, about 2 cups
- 2 pkgs boxed corn muffin mix. such as Jiffy each box should make enough for an 8 inch square cornbread.
- 2/3 cups milk. for the mix
- 2 large eggs. for the mix
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Preheat oven to 375°.
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Butter or spray with cooking spray a 13X9 or similar casserole dish, set aside.
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In a large skillet brown the ground beef until cooked through. As the meat browns break it up with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
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Drain off most, but not all of the excess fat. Place the meat into a bowl and reserve.
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Sauté the onions in the remaining fat, depending on the amount of fat in the meat you may need to add a tablespoon of olive oil.
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Cook the onions until softened and just beginning to brown.
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Add the corn, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.Stir in the cooked ground beef.
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Stir in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Reserve about 1/3 cup of the sliced olives and 1/3 cup of the sliced green onions.
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Stir in the remaining olives and the green onions. Take off heat and let cool slightly about 5 minutes.
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Spread the filling into the prepared casserole dish.
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Mix the cornbread mix according to the package directions using the milk and eggs.
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Sprinkle 2/3 of the shredded pepper jack cheese over the filling.
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Using a spatula try to evenly spread out the cornbread batter over the cheese covering all the way to the edges.
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Sprinkle the remaining cheese, green onions, and olives over the batter distributing as evenly as possible.
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Bake for 40 – 50 minutes until the cornbread is nicely browned and cooked through. You can poke a toothpick in the center to see, but be aware if you go to deep you will hit the filling.
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Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
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Serve with sour cream or Greek yogurt. And sliced avocado if desired
2 thoughts on “Tamale Pie, Comfort Food At It’s Best”
The best comfort food casserole I’ve made. It’s fantastic
I am definately making this!
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