Tamale Pie

Chili and cornbread are one of G’s favorite comfort foods so I was pretty suprised that he didn’t know what a tamale pie was until I made it today for lunch. Tamale pie, in its simplest form, is a savory ground meat mixture baked into a casserole with a delectable layer of cornbread topping. I cooked a batch of his easy 15-minute chili (white lightning turkey chili works just as delicious!) as the meat filling and although I have a trusted sweet corn muffin recipe I regularly enjoy with chili, I opted for a box of Jiffy to simplify things. I also used ramekins instead of a large baking dish to make individual servings simple and fun. As I expected, G loved this Mexican-inspired dish and polished his ramekin clean.

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Tamale Pie

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup onions , chopped
• 1 clove garlic , peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup green bell peppers , seeded and chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans
• 1 cup canned cut corn , drained
• 1 can (28 oz) stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Cornbread Layer

• 1 box (8.5 ounces) Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk

For Garnish

• sour cream

Instructions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add ground beef and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove excess oil except about 1 tablespoon. Season meat with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add onions and garlic and continue to cook until limp. Add bell peppers, black beans, kidney beans, corn, stewed tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Continue to cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until heated through.
3. Divide chili mixture into oven-safe ramekins. Spoon cornbread mixture and spread on top. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve hot with sour cream.

For the Cornbread Layer

1. In a bowl, combine cornbread mix, egg and milk until just blended. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Recipe Notes

I increased the amount of milk more than specified by the cornbread box to make batter easier to spread and as I prefer a thinner cornbread layer when baked.