Can you substitute cornbread for the masa topping?

Yes! Prepare the cornbread mix or recipe or box of corn muffin mix (Jiffy or Bob’s Red Mill) according to package directions and pour the cornbread batter over the meat mixture before baking.

Is tamale pie gluten-free?

Yes! Corn masa is essentially corn flour. You may be able to find some that are certified gluten-free if cross-contamination is an issue.

How to jazz up tamales?

I think that tamale pie itself is a jazzed-up form of tamales, but you can also add toppings like sour cream, pickled jalapenos, pickled red onion, black olives, diced avocados, and/or diced tomatoes to boost the flavor.

Can I make tamale pie with red enchilada sauce?

I vote no enchilada sauce. That turns it into enchilada casserole ( this is my recipe ). Follow the tamale pie recipe for a more authentic tamale flavor.

Easy Beef Tamale Pie Recipe | 1 Pot Meal in Under an Hour!

Tamale Pie

Print Recipe

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Make this yummy tamale pie with beef or chicken and a handful of pantry staples (plus vegetarian and vegan options!). A simple beef and veggie filling with cheese and corn topping – it’s an easy meal that everyone will love!

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: serves 8
Category: Main Meals
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale

For the Ground Beef Mixture:

2 lbs ground beef (see notes below) (908g)
1 large onion, peeled and diced (128g)
1 green bell pepper, diced (114g)
1 Tbsp minced garlic (8g)
1 cup frozen corn (see notes) (165g)
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes (420g)
1 4 oz can diced green chilies (112g)
1 Tbsp cornstarch (8g)
2 tsp chili powder (5g)
1 tsp cumin (2g)
1 tsp salt (6g)
1 ½ cups shredded cheese (Mexican or taco blend, see notes) (170g)

For the Masa Topping:

2 ¼ cups corn masa (270g)
2 tsp baking powder (9g)
1 tsp salt (6g)
2 cups chicken broth (see notes) (498g)
4 Tbsp butter, melted (56g)
½ cup shredded cheese (56g)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a 12” cast iron skillet or oven-safe large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until it’s no longer pink, breaking the beef into small pieces as it cooks. I really like to use this potato masher to break up the beef because it gets the pieces really, really small.
Tip: See notes below for making this recipe using chicken instead of beef.
Without draining the grease, add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic to the beef until the onions start to turn translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the corn, canned tomatoes, diced green chilies and stir well.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over the ground beef mixture and stir well. Add the spices and stir until everything is combined. Finally, add the shredded cheese and stir well. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Prepare tamale topping in a large bowl and pour over the filling mixture. Bake the tamale pie for 45 minutes, or until the cornbread crust is baked through and golden brown on the edges. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Ground Beef: You can reduce the ground beef to 1lb and add 1 can of drained black beans to keep this a budget-friendly recipe.
Chicken Tamale Pie: To make chicken tamale pie, follow the recipe as written, except cook the vegetables in one tablespoon of coconut oil (instead of the fat from the ground beef) and stir in 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken with the corn and tomatoes.
Corn: Substitute one 15oz can of corn, drained, for frozen corn.
Cheese: If you don’t have Mexican blend or taco blend shredded cheese, you can substitute cheddar, Monterey jack, or even pepper jack cheese.
Broth: Substitute beef broth or vegetable broth.

Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/beef-tamale-pie/