Tamale Pie
Tamale Pie is pure, old-school comfort food! A casserole of saucy, seasoned ground beef with onion, bell peppers, and corn is baked with a cornmeal crust until golden brown and bubbly.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Resting Time5 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Tex Mex
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 411kcal
For the Filling
- 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
For the Topping
- 1 ½ cups milk I use 2%
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
For Serving
- sour cream
- tortilla chips
- hot sauce like Cholula
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Lightly coat a 13- x 9-inch (or slightly smaller) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, brown the ground beef with the onion and green bell pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and then drain off as much grease from the pan as possible. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, olives, salt, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper and black pepper and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and simmer until melted. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
In a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat, warm the milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons butter, until the butter has melted. Reduce the heat to LOW and stir in the cornmeal, a little at a time, stirring vigorously with each addition until smooth. Continue to stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs, stirring vigorously until combined.
Pour the cornmeal mixture over the meat mixture, smoothing it out evenly (it's okay if it doesn't go all the way to the edges of the pan).
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly around the edges. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream.
Storage Tips
Cover and refrigerate leftover Tamale Pie promptly for up to 3 to 4 days. Leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave. To reheat in a conventional oven, cover with foil bake at 350 degrees F until warm.
To make ahead and freeze, bake the Tamale Pie in a freezer-safe dish and allow it to cool completely. Cover it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of heavy duty foil (or two layers of regular foil) and transfer to the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer the frozen Tamale Pie to the refrigerator the day before you plan to serve it to allow it to thaw completely before reheating.
Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1391mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1360IU | Vitamin C: 23.1mg | Calcium: 351mg | Iron: 3.7mg