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This easy Tamale Pie combines all of the delicious flavor of homemade tamales with an easy to make recipe. Enjoy a tamale pie casserole for dinner this week.
If you have never heard of tamale pie, it is just like a traditional tamale, but the ingredients are baked in a casserole. So instead of wrapping all of the meat and seasoning inside a masa filled corn husk, you layer in in a dish with a delicious corn meal crust. Sort of like a tamale pot pie! So if you love the flavors of a tamale, and want an easy way to enjoy them for dinner this week, Tamale Pie is the answer.
I make my tamale pie in my cast iron pan which makes it feel even more like comfort food to me. But you can also do it in a glass casserole dish.  I like tamales but I am not a fan of a really thick layer of corn meal.  So this version of Tamale Pie was perfect for me.  You get a yummy meat mixture in between two thin layers of cornmeal.  Another thing I love about this recipe is it is gluten free!
If you are a big fan of thick cornmeal I would suggest doubling the recipe for the cornmeal layer so it will be thicker. Â The trick with your cornmeal layer is to make sure it is really, thick – more like stiff! Â Cook it on the stove until it gets nice and stiff.
How to Make Tamale Pie
After making the cornmeal crust, put 1/3 of the mixture in the bottom of your cast iron pan.
Then add the meat mixture which you let simmer until the liquid was gone and is nice and thick. Â Put the meat mixture onto of your cornmeal layer and then add the rest of the cornmeal layer on top. Â Don’t worry about this looking really pretty, it will be delicious.
Bake it in the oven for about 25-35 Â minutes and t hen dish it up! Â Even your gluten free eaters can enjoy this tamale pie!
I served mine with some slice avocado and pico de gallo on top.
Tamale Pie Recipe
Tamale Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 C chopped onion
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 15 oz. cans petite cut tomatoes
- 1 4 oz. can sliced black olives
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp chili powder
- dash of black pepper
Cornmeal Crust I suggest doubling this
- 3/4 C yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 C cold water
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- Brown beef with onion, green pepper and garlic.
- Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, olives, sugar, and seasonings
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer until liquid is gone and mixture has thickened
Cornmeal Crust
- Combine cornmeal, salt, chili powder and water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently until stiff.
- Put 1/3 of mixture into bottom of cast iron pan or casserole dish
- Add meat mixture
- Top with remaining cornmeal crust.
- Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes
Nutrition Facts:
VICKIE MITCHELL says
I used one can diced tomatoes and one can rotel tomatoes for the spice! I doubled the corn meal but I left it a little thinner so it would spread. This will definitely be prepared again. The family loved it.