Three weeks ago I hadn’t heard of tamale pie, now it’s become one of our dinner go-to’s.

A few weeks ago my mom was reminiscing and mentioned something called a “tamale pie.” I’ve been super into Mexican food lately so was naturally intrigued.

She explained that her mom (my Nonni) would make tamale pie pretty frequently when friends would come over. She described it as chili with cheese and a cornbread topping. I had to call Nonni for the details.

I decided to try this recipe for myself, and boy was it a success. This tamale pie recipe meets all criteria for a dinner staple: quick, easy, healthy(ish), cheap, delicious, provides leftovers. I am SO glad this vintage recipe has made a comeback in our home.

Enjoy!

Recipe

• Makes: 9×13 dish (approx. 8-10 generous servings)
• Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef
• 2 packets chili seasoning mix (I use Simply Organic)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (total 30 oz)
• 2 cans kidney beans (total 30 oz)
• 1.5 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 box cornbread mix (see Tips & Tricks below for Nonni’s easy homemade version)
• jalapeños, sliced (optional)
• black olives, sliced (optional)
• For garnish: sour cream, green onions, picante or hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Brown ground beef in a soup pot.
3. Add diced tomatoes and beans to cooked beef.
4. Add chili seasoning mix and stir to combine.
5. Bring mixture to a boil, let cook for 5-7 minutes.
6. While the chili is cooking, prepare cornbread batter and set aside.
7. Pour chili into a 9×13 casserole dish, it should come about half way up the sides of the dish.
8. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. If you want to add optional jalapeños and/or black olives, sprinkle them now over the cheese.
9. Evenly pour cornbread batter over cheese/chili. Be sure there is some room for the cornbread to rise.
10. Bake on 400° F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Let cool for 5 minutes then serve. Garnish with optional sour cream, picante or hot sauce, and green onions.
12. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• Nonni’s easy homemade cornbread:
  • Combine 1 cup self rising flour, 1 cup self rising cornmeal, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup oil. Mix well, use instead of boxed cornbread mix.
• If you prefer another chili recipe, or even canned chili, you can definitely use that instead here. The premise of the recipe is chili on bottom, cheese and fillings in the middle, cornbread on top. It’s hard to mess up.
• There is a lot of room for creativity with this tamale pie recipe! Feel free to add or take away jalapeños, olives, corn, etc.
• I said it earlier but it deserves to be said again, this recipe is everything we look for in a dinner staple: easy, quick, cheap, healthy(ish), delicious, feeds a crowd.
• Try it, you’ll love it!

For another quick, easy and yummy all-in-one meal try this stir fry.