Tamale Pie
Mea culpa. I’m off my game. I absolutely should have posted this delicious recipe forTamale Pie last week in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo. I have visions of all of you sitting around the table with your families this past Saturday night, talking about the week’s events and enjoying bite after yummy bite of this savory Mexican goodness. Wait, what? You were outside on someone’s porch drinking margaritas and kicking back Coronas? Chips and salsa was your sustenance? Fantastic, then an opportunity wasn’t missed and you can make this easy casserole for your family this week instead. Maybe sit around the table and discuss how much fun you had on Cinco de Mayo?
I decided to try Tamale Pie during my mother-in-law’s recent visit mostly because it was gluten free. Paired with this Sweet Potato and Black Bean Mexican Salad, I hoped it would be one in a week of home run meals. Well, a homer it was! So much so, that my mother-in-law looked forward to Leftovers Night so that she could finish it up and my kids bargained for their share.
I adjusted the original recipe slightly for taste and convenience. The biggest change I made was increasing the amount of ground beef because I thought that the beef to cornbread ratio seemed a bit low. I wanted this to be a meatier dish. I used about a pint of grape tomatoes instead of beefsteak tomatoes, because I had them on hand and I thought the less watery the tomato and the more ripe, the better. It also called for fresh corn and I substituted frozen. I’m guessing that maybe the fresh corn would have stayed slightly firmer but I can’t imagine it’s worth the extra step considering how the dish comes together. All of these changes are reflected in my version of the recipe below. The only other possible modification I will mention is that I did follow the original instructions to use corn meal and basically make my own cornbread batter to top the ground beef. This was no trouble at all but I am certain that if you’d prefer to use a box of Jiffy cornbread mix (or any favorite cornbread mix) that would work just fine.
Bottom line was that this Tamale Pie was a crowdpleaser. The whole family enjoyed and they are begging for me to make again (a consequence of this blog is that my family rarely gets to eat the same thing twice, once the recipe is posted). It is a great make-ahead meal and would be perfect to deliver to a friend. Enjoy!
Tamale Pie
- 1/2 pound fresh chorizo, casings removed (about 2 links)--I used regular, mild sausage because I didn't want it to be too spicy
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 Tbls tomato paste
- 5 tsp cumin
- 1 large onion, grated on a box grater, divided
- 1–2 medium jalapeños, thinly sliced, seeded if desired, divided
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved (or 2 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/2" cubes)
- 2 1/2 c frozen corn kernels (or fresh, from about 3 ears), divided
- 2 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 6 Tbls unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 c sour cream, plus more for serving
- 1 1/4 c cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Heat an 8" cast-iron skillet over high.
- Pat sausage and beef dry with paper towels, then press into an even layer in bottom of hot skillet with a spatula.
- Cook, undisturbed, until a brown crust begins to form on the bottom, about 6 minutes.
- Turn, break into pieces, and continue to cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, cumin, half of grated onion, half of jalapeño, and 2 tsp salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and well combined, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, 2 cups corn, and 2 cups cheese.
- Whisk eggs, butter, 1/3 cup sour cream, and remaining onion in a medium bowl.
- Whisk cornmeal, baking powder, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and stir to combine, then stir in 1/4 cup cheese and remaining 1/2 cup corn.
- Dollop cornbread batter over meat mixture, then smooth into an even layer. Top with remaining jalapeños and 1/4 cup cheese.
- Bake cornbread until golden brown, 15–18 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream alongside.