Delicious Tamale Pie

Today I have a delicious and easy, one dish dinner recipe…Tamale Pie! It’s packed with moist cornbread, gooey cheese, and general taco-y goodness. This recipe adaptation was originally motivated by two simple facts: 1) I didn’t have any leftover slow cooked meat and 2) I didn’t have time to make any.

By simply sautéing spiced ground beef I created a tasty beef alternative ready in only 10 minutes. Feel free to use any meat you have around…if it goes with taco spices it will go with this recipe. I baked this in a large cast iron skillet, but the recipe also cooks up well in a 9×9 or 9×13 pan. The size of the pan will change the thickness, but not the deliciousness of each layer.

I love my tamale pie topped with all the taco fixings…Salsa, sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, cilantro, and lime juice. It’s super personalizable, so have fun with it and enjoy!

Delicious Tamale Pie

Layers of cornbread, enchilada sauce, spiced ground beef and cheese, baked until melty and topped with all your favorite taco fixings!

Servings 8 -12

Ingredients

CORNBREAD

• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2/3 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3-4 tablespoons oil I used olive oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 small can diced green chiles 4.5 ounce can
• 1 can of corn or creamed corn

MEAT

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

TAMALE PIE

• 1 ¼ cup enchilada sauce
• 2 cups of shredded cheese I used sharp white cheddar

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Sour Cream
• Shredded Cheese
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add oil until soft crumbles form. Whisk in milk and egg. Gently fold in chiles and corn. Pour into greased baking pan (9x9, 9x13, large cast iron skillet). Bake until set (a toothpick should come out clean), about 20-25 minutes.
3. While cornbread is baking, combine beef with spices and sauté in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. Once cornbread is done baking, reduce oven to 350 degree F. Poke holes in cornbread with a fork and pour enchilada sauce over it. Top with ground beef and shredded cheese, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and back until cheese begins to brown, about 5-10 minutes.
5. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving with desired toppings.

source : www.2teaspoons.com