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This easy tamale pie is classic Tex-Mex comfort food. Featuring ground beef, enchilada sauce, and a tamale-inspired cornbread base, this recipe is a great family dinner idea for busy weeknights.
Soaking the cornbread crust with an enchilada sauce gives a texture that is reminiscent of tamales. Top it all off with some juicy ground beef cooked in a simple homemade taco seasoning, and melty cheese. This will be a dinner dish that the family requests over and over.
Why we love this tamale pie
- Quick and Easy: this recipe comes with minimal prep time and easy ingredients standard in most pantries. Of course, you can up the flavor by making a homemade enchilada sauce, but store-bought works well in this recipe.
- Hearty: the cornbread base adds a heartiness and filling quality to this dish, making it an excellent option for a family dinner. Serve with a side of Mexican salad or some Mexican roasted vegetables for a complete meal.
Ingredients In Tamale Pie
- Cornmeal: gives the beautiful yellow coloring, corn flavoring, and a grainy texture.
- All-Purpose Flour: All purpose flour will allow the bread to rise, and give it a lighter, spongy consistency.
- Baking Powder: the leavening agent used in the cornbread layer.
- Egg: binding agent for the cornbread.
- Sour Cream: helps bring moisture into the cornbread.
- Creamed Corn: gives an extra pop of corn flavor and moisture to the cornbread crust.
- Milk: adds moisture to the cornbread layer.
- Ground Beef: use 1 lb of ground beef, you can sub for ground turkey, pork or chicken if needed. Or try with some shredded chicken.
- Taco Seasoning: you can use a store-bought packet or a homemade version using the instructions in the recipe card below. To make your own seasoning you will need chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, oregano, and cumin.
- Enchilada Sauce: use a store-bought sauce or make your own homemade enchilada sauce.
How to make Tamale Pie
Cornbread Crust
- Prepare the cornbread crust. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients. No need to premix the wet ingredients, this can all be done in one bowl. Add the egg, sour cream, milk and corn to the dry ingredients and mix.
- Spread the cornbread batter into a pie or baking dish. Bake until cooked through.
- Use a fork to poke holes throughout the cornbread, this will help the enchilada sauce to soak into the cornbread giving that texture that is reminiscent of tamales.
- Drizzle the enchilada sauce over the baked cornbread crust.
- Brown the ground beef and add all the seasonings, then add the cooked beef to the top of the tamale pie.
- Top with cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serving Ideas
This easy casserole recipe is perfect for family dinner. Some sides that pair well would be Charro Beans and Mexican Rice. Some great topping ideas would be some homemade easy salsa, or guacamole.
Storage and Reheating Information
- Storage: store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To prepare this meal ahead of time, follow the directions for making the cornbread crust and the topping ingredients. Pre-bake the crust, then add the toppings. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake for dinner.
- Freezing: allow to cool completely. Wrap the dish in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw by removing to the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheating: Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
More Easy Family Dinner Recipes:
- Baked Chicken Taquitos
- 30 Minute Chicken Tacos
- Baked Chicken Quesadillas
- Mexican Picadillo
- Cheese Quesadillas
Tamale Pie
This easy tamale pie is classic Tex-Mex comfort food. Featuring ground beef, enchilada sauce, and a tamale-inspired cornbread base, this recipe is a great family dinner idea for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 14.5 ounces creamed Corn
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheese monterey jack or medium cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease a baking dish (square dish or round pie pan)
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. These include cornmeal, all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir these with a fork to combine.
- Add the egg, sour cream, corn and milk to the dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour the cornbread mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the corn bread for about 25 minutes, it won’t be done completely, but it will bake more once we layer everything on.
- While the cornbread bakes, prepare the ground beef. Cook over medium heat in a skillet, once the meat is cooked through, no longer pink, drain the grease, add the seasonings and stir to combine.
- Poke the cornbread with a fork all over and drizzle with enchilada sauce.
- Add the ground beef on top of the cornbread, then top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake again for another 15 minutes until the top is melted and bubbling. The sauce will be bubbling along the edges of the baking dish. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Storage: store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To prepare this meal ahead of time, follow the directions for making the cornbread crust and the topping ingredients. Pre-bake the crust, then add the toppings. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake for dinner.
- Freezing: allow to cool completely. Wrap the dish in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw by removing to the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheating: Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Fat: 22g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love this recipe with corn and beans added to the mix, I now make it in a 12” cast iron skillet.
Haven’t tried tamale pie with the masa on the bottom before…it sounds delicious and should make the masa all the more tastier! Would you use your Tex-Mex chili gravy enchilada sauce for this tamale pie?
Ooops! I thought your recipe called for masa rather than a cornbread crust…lol! The question still remains as to the enchilada sauce, however. Thanks!
This was so delicious!!! I followed the recipe exactly and we all loved it!!
This was absolutely delicious! A keeper recipe. Would not change a thing. Yum o.
This has an excellent flavor! The only complaint for me is that it has way too much cornbread and I would prefer more of the meat mixture. So the next time I make this I’ll try to increase all the ingredients that make up the meat part of the recipe. Other than that, it is very good.
Made as directed, was excellent, I added the corn and black beans to the meat, make sure you use big enough casserole dish, 9×9 wouldn’t hold it all
I am so confused by the cornbread portion of this recipe. It is not at all “pourable”—it makes a very thick dough (and not a batter). Are there any wet ingredients missing?? I was surprised how dry the mixture was.
Hi Kate! I took your feedback, and re-worked this recipe tonite to give more moisture to the cornbread. Adding in the remainder of the can of creamed corn instead of using a portion of it, and added 1/4 cup of milk. This also changed the baking times needed. But all of that information is now included in the recipe card. Hopefully you’ll try this recipe again 🙂