Tamale Pie

Prep 25 mins   Bake 35 mins   Eat 1 hour

This Tamale Pie has all the flavors you are looking for in a family weeknight dinner.  Perfect for a group dinner or when you want to have leftovers!  It has all your favorite Mexican flavors in a one-pan meal. Ground beef, black beans, bell pepper, corn, tomatoes, delicious melting cheese all wrapped up in flavors like Hatch, Shishito or jalapeno chiles, chile powder and cumin.  Top it with a cornbread topping and bake for 35 minutes.

Assemble your ingredients.

I usually have all the ingredients for the Tamale Pie in my pantry and fridge, ready to go for an easy weeknight meal. This recipe can easily be adjusted with with the vegetables you have on hand or leftovers like some roasted peppers or some Hatch chiles from the freezer.  I used a diced onion, minced garlic, a can of tomatoes, garden greens, black beans, roasted peppers and Shishitos. You can make it vegetarian by using a variety of your favorite beans – black, pinto, lentils or add in more vegetables from your garden. Melissa’s Produce had given me a Tamale Kit, so I used the mix inside instead of my usual cornbread mixture from corn meal, which I include in this recipe. A Corn Muffin Mix would also work.

Preparing the Tamale Pie is easy and fast.

The base of the Tamale Pie has onion, ground meat – beef, pork or turkey, minced garlic and spices.  Then add in the vegetables and beans.  Feel free to use what you have in your fridge.  I have also used shredded rotiserrie chicken instead of the ground meat, because that was in my fridge.

After mixing in the tomatoes, peppers, chiles and beans, cook for another 5 minutes to incorporate all the flavors.

While the meat and bean mixture is cooking, mix the Cornbread topping.  Mix the wet ingredients together first – a whisked egg, canola oil, yogurt or sour cream and milk.  Then dump in the dry ingredients and stir together just until combined.  If you like, add some of the corn kernels to this mixture.

Assemble the Tamale Pie in a 9 x 13 pan.

Spread out the meat, bean, vegetable base into the 9 x 13 pan.

Put a layer of corn kernels – fresh or frozen over the meat mixture, followed by the shredded cheddar cheese. I cut the corn off 1 large cob of corn.

Then dollop the Cornbread topping over it all.   Once you have filled in the spots, use a spatula to smooth it out. Here I grated a small amount of cheese over the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is firm and beginning to brown.

We love this Tamale Pie!

Serve the Tamale Pie with a salad or by itself.  It is so delicious and you will definitely want seconds!   We hold back so that half of it is left over for our next evening meal.

Print this Recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Tamale Pie

This Tamale Pie recipe has all the flavors you are looking for in a a family weeknight dinner. Perfect for a group dinner or when you want to have leftovers! It has all your favorite Mexican flavors in a one-pan meal. It's also a starting point for what is in your refrigerator. One night I swapped rotisserie chicken for the ground beef. Make it vegetarian with your favorite beans - black, pinto, lentils and more vegetables. Add some heat, based on your taste with a jalapeno, Shishito or Hatch chiles.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Bread, dinner, Entree, Main Course, meat, Vegetarian

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 10

Calories: 584kcal

Ingredients

• 1 onion diced
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1+ jalapeno Hatch or shishito pepper (to taste) diced, seeds removed
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tablespoon chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Hatch chile powder green
• 1 teaspoon cumin ground
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 2 cups corn or kernels from 1 large ear
• 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

Corn Bread topping

• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°, Roast the red pepper and chile on a grill, burner or in the oven if you prefer in advance, which adds more flavor.
• Add the onion and ground bean to a skillet. Cook for a few minutes. Add the diced red bell pepper and chiles if raw. Cook until the meat has browned. Add the garlic, chile powders, cumin, oregano, salt and stir in.
• Mix in the tomatoes, beans and if roasted, the bell pepper and chiles. Cook for another 5 minutes to incorporate all the flavors.
• While the meat and bean mixture is cooking, mix together the corn bread topping. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl - the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, add the milk, oil and yogurt/sour cream and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until blended. Add about 1/3 cup of corn kernels to the mixture.
• Assemble in a 9 x 13 pan. First spread out the meat, bean and vegetable mixture. Next add a layer of the remaining corn kernels. Follow with the shredded cheese. The cornbread topping is dolloped over it all. Once you have filled in the spots, use a spatula to smooth it out.
• Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
•  ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FRESHFOODINAFLASH.COM

   

   
• Oven Temperature: 350°F

Nutrition

Calories: 584kcal

Tamale Pie

This Tamale Pie recipe has all the flavors you are looking for in a a family weeknight dinner. Perfect for a group dinner or when you want to have leftovers! It has all your favorite Mexican flavors in a one-pan meal. It’s also a starting point for what is in your refrigerator. One night I swapped rotisserie chicken for the ground beef. Make it vegetarian with your favorite beans – black, pinto, lentils and more vegetables. Add some heat, based on your taste with a jalapeno, Shishito or Hatch chiles.

1 onion, diced
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, Hatch or shishito pepper (to taste) diced, seeds removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon Hatch chile powder, green
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can black beans
2 cups corn or kernels from 1 large ear
2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Corn Bread topping
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°, Roast the red pepper and chile on a grill, burner or in the oven if you prefer in advance, which adds more flavor.

2. Add the onion and ground bean to a skillet. Cook for a few minutes. Add the diced red bell pepper and chiles if raw. Cook until the meat has browned. Add the garlic, chile powders, cumin, oregano, salt and stir in.

3. Mix in the tomatoes, beans and if roasted, the bell pepper and chiles. Cook for another 5 minutes to incorporate all the flavors.

4. While the meat and bean mixture is cooking, mix together the corn bread topping. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl – the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, add the milk, oil and yogurt/sour cream and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until blended. Add about 1/3 cup of corn kernels to the mixture.

5. Assemble in a 9 x 13 pan. First spread out the meat, bean and vegetable mixture. Next add a layer of the remaining corn kernels. Follow with the shredded cheese. The cornbread topping is dolloped over it all. Once you have filled in the spots, use a spatula to smooth it out.

6. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Servings: 10   – 584 calories per serving