Tamale Pie Recipe
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This scrumptious tamale pie recipe includes taco-spiced beef, fluffy cornbread, and melted cheese and french fried onions on top. It tastes as good as it sounds.
There’s a sweet story to tell about this tamale pie recipe. I met my friend Debbie during the aftermath of the April 2011 tornadoes. I was recovering and so were many families. We met at a local church and when she saw that I was recovering too, dear Debbie wanted to bring over some food to help keep me off my feet.
Tamale pie is one of her go-to recipes. As soon as I took the lid off and got a whiff of the cheese, spicy beef, and those french fried onions I had to ask for the recipe. She was gracious enough to share it and I’m tickled to death to share it with you.
Oh mercy, is this ever good! It’s like a cross between a Mexican casserole and a cornbread casserole. You get all those delicious Mexican flavors on the bottom, with a fluffy cornbread topping. Fortunately, this is so easy to make for supper as well. It’s easy to see why this comfort food main dish is now a firm family favorite in my household.
I feel a cooking session coming on…
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Rotel
- Taco seasoning
- Corn
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- French fried onions
- Corn muffin mix
- The fixings for the corn muffin mix (eggs and milk)
How To Make Tamale Pie
First, brown your ground beef and then drain it.
Then add in the taco seasoning…
Corn…
Rotel tomatoes…
And 1/2 of the french fried onions.
Stir up your ground beef mixture.
Spread this into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Don’t dig into the pie yet, it’s about to get even better thanks to that .
Now, you need to make the cornbread mixture.
Add the Jiffy corn muffin mix to a mixing bowl and mix according to package directions.
This usually includes milk…
And a couple of eggs.
Mix those ingredients together.
Then spread the over the top of the ground beef mixture in the baking dish.
Bake that at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown.
Top with shredded cheese and remaining french fried onions and return to oven until cheese is melted.
Your tamale pie should look like this fresh out of the oven. YUM!
Serve with sour cream and guacamole if you like and ENJOY!
Storage
- You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s best to reheat in the oven to make the top nice and crispy again.
- This tamale pie recipe also freezes really well. Just make sure it is sealed in an airtight container and you can feel good making a large batch and freezing some for later. I find that it usually stays good for 2 to 3 months. Just take it out of the freezer the night before to let it thaw out before you go ahead and warm it up for some good eatin’.
Recipe Notes
- You can add some black beans or even a kidney can in place of some of the beef. This way, you get more fiber and it’s a little easier on your pocketbook.
- Another option is to substitute the lean ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, or even rotisserie chicken or cooked and shredded chicken breast.
- Feel free to substitute the cheddar cheese for Monterey Jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend.
- You can also substitute the whole kernel for if you prefer or have it on hand already.
- Here are some additions you can add to this tamale pie recipe:
- A can of black olives, drained.
- A cup of chopped bell pepper and a cup of chopped yellow onion. Saute them in the skillet with the ground beef.
- 1 teaspoon of for added heat.
You may also enjoy these ground beef recipes:
Ground Beef Stew (with a secret!)
Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos
Beef Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Stuffed Peppers With Ground Turkey or Beef
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 can whole kernel corn drained
- 1 can original Rotel tomatoes
- 3 cups french fried onions
- 2 boxes corn muffin mix and ingredients to make it according to pkg directions
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef until done, breaking up as you do so with a wooden spoon or whatever you grab out of the kitchen drawer first. Drain off the grease.1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- Stir in the taco seasoning, corn, Rotel tomatoes (juice and all), and half of the french fried onions. Spread into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.1 packet taco seasoning, 1 can whole kernel corn, 1 can original Rotel tomatoes, 3 cups french fried onions
- Prepare the Jiffy cornbread mix according to package directions all in one mixing bowl. Spread the cornbread batter on top of the meat mixture.2 boxes corn muffin mix
- Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 20 minutes or until the cornbread topping is golden. Top with shredded cheese and remaining french fried onions. Return to oven until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream.3 cups french fried onions, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Notes
Nutrition
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
~Dalai Lama
~Submitted by Jenny. Submit yours by clicking here.
Hi again, Christy. We had yet another delicious diner tonight, thanks to you! Another keeper for sure.
The only things I did differently were that I added minced garlic and diced onion to my ground beef while browning it because I seem to always do that. Also, I used what I had in, a bag of Birds Eye Steam Fresh Southwest Corn. It turned out great.
I read the comments that some people had problems with it being dry, but mine wasn’t dry at all. I used just the one can of Rotel and the two boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix as the recipe stated and it came out great. The crunchy fried onion and cheddar cheese top was the best part! (I might have added some more shredded cheddar cheese, lol). Thanks again! 🙂
Lol, typo – dinner, not diner. Although I sometimes feel like a cook in a diner. 😉
Christy, you made my day when I saw this recipe of Tamale pie. I am now 82 and my mother use to make this. Hers was some different. It did not have corn but had pork and beans in it. My husband was a minister and I would invite surrounding pastor
families to lunch and make this dish. However, with moving I lost the recipe . For a while I remembered it but after not making it for years I wasn’t sure. Now I am
introducing it to my grandchildren.and great grands. Thanks, Thanks, Thanks.
Christy, your website, recipes are delightful! I love the simplicity, back to the basics, comfort food. So refreshing! I burden myself with avoiding certain ingredients, certain packaged foods, etc….and it’s nice to be reminded of simpler (less expensive) ways – that will be delicious and everyone will like! So thank you for being YOU and sharing these recipes and your faith. I haven’t made Tamale Pie for ages!
Thank you so much Robin!! I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes!!
Cut onion into rings pat dry and dredge in flour. Mix 1 ½ c flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 ¾ tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar and set aside. Mix 1 ¼ C. milk, 2 eggs and ¼ C. oil until well blended and smooth. Mix in dry ingredients. Heat 1 inch oil in frying pan til it reaches about 375. If you don’t have a thermometer just sprinkle a little flour in and if it “dances” that’s good. Dip onion rings in batter and allow excess to drip off. Place rings in hot oil and fry until golden brown turning once. Drain on paper towel, bada bing French Fried onions. I sometimes make my own because I have forgotten to put on my list get home and realize I forgot them.
I left off the rotel and used chili beans. Loving this recipe 🙂
SO glad you liked it Ann!!!
I really wanted to love this but it was just awful. I Followed the directions to a “T” and it came out totally dry. The layer of cornbread was almost the thickness of the entire pan! The meat mixture was tasty but it was so thin, it got overwhelmed with the massive mound of cornbread on top. And after baking for 20 minutes , the meat mixture was indeed dry and crumbly. I should’ve listened to the other commenters and AT LEAST doubled the Rotel, and halved the cornbread. Maybe then it would’ve been edible. I was embarrassed to serve this to my family.
Fixed this to “eat on” while my husband was on a trip. Mine was very dry, too, and I did not drain the Rotel but dumped it all in there. Also, I was startled to find the Jiffy cornbread is sweet! But it was a good contrast with the spicy filling.
Next time, I’ll add a second can of Rotel and some black beans – I really like that suggestion for adding more vegetable “stuff”.
Heck, I might even throw caution to the wind and add yellow hominy instead of regular corn!
Born to be wild! (Or is it mild?)