Tamale Pie
I have tried a recipe for tamale pie before, but the family wasn't a fan. It was too heavy and the cornbread topping was too dense. After a few attempts, I decided maybe a tamale pie was just not for us.
Recently, a friend came to me after trying my Italian Meat Pie recipe included in one of my meal plans. She asked if I would be interested in developing a similar version for a tamale pie. Bingo. Her idea led to this meat pie with layers of light cornbread, meat, and cheese. Aren't you grateful for good friends? Thanks to her, we now have a tamale pie the whole family loves! I bet your family will enjoy it too!
Tamale Pie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 slices
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 cup corn, drained
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, salt, cumin, onion powder, chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup Colby Jack cheese
Batter:
3 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon each: salt, baking powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add beef and onion. Cook until the meat is thoroughly browned.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Drain grease if necessary.
Turn off heat and stir in seasonings and tomato paste.
In a large bowl, combine batter ingredients.
Butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Pour half of batter onto bottom of the skillet and spread evenly.
Distribute half of the meat mixture over the batter.
Sprinkle 1 cup cheddar cheese over the meat.
Spread remaining meat mixture over the cheese.
Stir Colby Jack into the remaining batter and spread over the meat mixture to create an even layer on top.
Bake 30 minutes.
Instructions
Recipe Notes:
Get creative with this recipe. Use ground pork instead of beef, try out different cheeses - make it your own!
Like some spice? Add some diced jalapenos or chiles to the top layer.