30 Comments / By Lisa Leake / February 27, 2018 / Recipes
10 Reviews / 4.8 Average
This easy one-dish meal features the flavors of tamales in the simplicity of a pie. It will definitely be making another appearance at our house! Try it if you're a fan of Mexican-inspired recipes.
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We were recently planning to have friends over for dinner when I asked my husband what he thought I should cook. He randomly said, “How about tamales?!” I was like “Whaaaa?” And that’s how this easy recipe for tamale pie came to be!
One-Dish Recipe for Tamale Pie
First of all, I’ve never made tamales in my life, and I’m honestly not sure if I even like tamales all that much (I was looking for ideas from the plethora of options I have actually cooked before LOL).
Secondly, I have a hard-and-fast rule to never experiment with new recipes on dinner guests. I think it’s always best to make something you know will turn out well, and leave the possible recipe fails for your immediate family only! Anyone else with me on that?
Tamales Without the Corn Husks
So, after we made homemade pizza with our friends (haha), I thought it would be nice to fulfill my husband’s desire for tamales with an Easy Tamale Pie. Since I’m not a huge fan of regular tamales myself, and I didn’t feel like hunting down corn husks to make the traditional version, this easy mash-up of cornbread, chiles, and other goodies was the best of both worlds.
By incorporating traditional tamale ingredients, you can still enjoy the authentic flavors in a one-dish meal that comes together in less than an hour!
And bonus, he loved it! So this easy one-dish meal will definitely be making an appearance again at our house. Maybe even for dinner guests. :)
Recipe for Tamale Pie With Cornbread
Not only does the cornbread in this tamale pie make it a lot quicker and easier to make than the original, it’s also completely freezer-friendly and packed with flavor! If one-dish Mexican recipes are your thing, you’ve got to give this one a try.
Easy Tamale Pie
This easy one-dish meal features the flavors of tamales in the simplicity of a pie. It will definitely be making another appearance at our house! Try it if you're a fan of Mexican-inspired recipes.
In a cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof large skillet) heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions while stirring until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the pan and cook while breaking it up with a spatula until almost brown all the way through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bell and hot peppers and cook until soft, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Sprinkle the seasonings onto the beef mixture and stir until well combined. Add the diced tomatoes and corn kernels and bring to a light boil then turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, in a small pot combine the milk, cornmeal, butter, and salt. Bring to a light boil while whisking constantly. As soon as the mixture begins to thicken, only takes a minute or two, scrape out of the pot and spread on top of the meat mixture into one even layer.
Top with shredded cheese and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. If preparing in advance may take longer to bake if putting it in the oven cold.
Garnish with sour cream, avocado and/or cilantro (if desired) and serve.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Easy Tamale Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 727Calories from Fat 441
% Daily Value*
Fat 49g75%
Saturated Fat 22g138%
Cholesterol 137mg46%
Sodium 943mg41%
Potassium 680mg19%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 1925IU39%
Vitamin C 41.1mg50%
Calcium 344mg34%
Iron 3.9mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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The tamale pie I remember was made with ground beef, with green chile, olives, whole corn, and topped with cornbread, though one could just as easily used pulled pork or a more traditional tamale stuffing for the casserole.
Some tamales are made of a paste of freshly ground corn, while others are made from nixtamalized and dried corn that's then mixed into a dough. Most Mexican tamales contain a savory filling of meat or vegetables, but sweet tamales filled with dried fruit are also popular, and some tamales do not contain filling at all.
Great masa para tamales starts with fat—and lots of it. Tamal dough should be rich and supple. This is not only for flavor, but for ease of shaping and proper texture. The fat in the masa is typically lard, but experimenting with different fats is a fun way to add flavor to the masa.
Traditional Tamale Sauce is made from red, dried chilies, garlic, and cumin. It begins by roasting peppers briefly in the oven, followed by a soak in water. Then, the chilies and water are blended into together with spices.
Cornmeal is coarsely ground hominy often used as a breading, in cornbread, and more. Masa harina is made from hominy that is treated with a lye solution and ground very fine, more like flour. It is used to make tortillas, tamale dough, and the soup dumplings chochoyotes.
One of the biggest mistakes is not mixing the masa dough long enough; this causes the tamales to fall apart. Mix the masa dough, with an ELECTRIC MIXER, until a small amount (1 tsp) floats in a cup of water.
Baking powder prevents the tamales chewiness rise caused by a decrease in fat content. At a high fat content, baking powder does not cause major changes in tamales texture. In the absence of fat, the leavening agent causes a desirable tamales texture.
Be sure to remove the wrapper entirely from tamales steamed in corn husks. While plantain leaves are edible (though they're not usually consumed with the tamales), corn husks aren't, and could cause choking or an upset stomach if swallowed.
Butter may be the simplest substitute for lard. With some minor modifications to your recipe, butter can help retain the taste and texture of your final product. This makes butter a great option for pie crusts, tortillas, tamale dough, and more.
Vegetable shortening is a meat-free and dairy-free substitute for lard, allowing you to serve tamales to meat eaters and vegans alike. That said, there are other substitutes for lard that will work well in tamale recipes as well, like refined coconut oil, butter, and avocado oil.
Like corn husks, parchment paper offers a thin, malleable material that can keep seasoned contents inside the folded envelope. Although parchment-paper-wrapped tamales may not offer the subtle flavor corn husks impart, the glossy paper can get a tamale-making task done.
Though fresh corn husks are normally used for fresh corn tamales, dried ones may be used also. Either type will impart a distinctive flavor to the tamales. The slight sweetness of the tamales in this recipe is balanced by a tart tomatillo salsa.
Add an inch of water into a large pot, add steamer basket and add the tamales in a standing position. Steam at medium-high heat for 35 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Serve immediately with sour cream, avocado, salsa, and lime wedges.
Remove tamales from bag and place them on steamer pot facing up. Add 2-3 inches of water to pot, make sure water does not touch tamales. For better results, cover pot with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and lid. Cook on medium low heat.
Sweet tamales are a Mexican dessert made from a sweet masa corn dough and filled with a variety of fruit, nut and sugary fillings. Common fillings include raisins, pineapples, fruit preserves, cajeta and dulce de leche.
Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made with a corn based dough mixture that is filled with various meats or beans and cheese. Tamales are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, but they are removed from the husks before eating. Try them served with pico de gallo on top and a side of guacamole and rice.
In some countries, the masa is filled with a simple piece of chicken or pork. Most tamales have elaborate slow-cooked seasoned meat fillings (usually chicken or pork), sometimes with vegetables (potatoes, corn, peppers, or carrots), cheeses, dried fruits, and olives.
Prepare the tamale cakes by chopping 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor until it's coarsely pureed. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar, and salt. Blend well. Add masa and flour and blend well.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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