Kid: Hey mom can you make tamales this week? Mom: I don’t have time for that Kid: But I really have a taste for tamales this week – can you do like lazy tamales like the Lazy Lasagna? Mom: ***wheels start turning*** Yes, I will think of something. And thus the birth of my version of Beef Tamale Pie. I say my version, because not everyone puts cheese or beans in their tamales.
If you wanted to give these a little more kick – you could switch out the chili powder for cayenne OR you could swap the green chilies for jalapenos. Both would be a nice heat. You could also use a Colby Jack or “Fiesta Blend” cheese for the cheese if you wanted to get a little different flavor in there.
This recipe would also go great with other proteins – just like regular tamales! So you could use shredded chicken or pork in place of ground beef – or even shredded beef. If you wanted to make a little healthier – you could use ground turkey instead of the ground beef. It would also be a great recipe to use up some left over meats – like if you made a whole pork roast for tacos – you could use the leftovers in this. You could also make it even faster and use a rotisserie chicken.
I didn’t serve a side with this pie – because it’s rather filling on it’s own. But if you need to stretch it or you want to insure leftovers – you could serve it with some beans and rice or maybe a Southwest style salad.
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!
Beef Tamale Pie
Ingredients
- 2 lb Ground Beef
- ½ Yellow Onion Diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 15 oz can Pinto Beans drained
- 1 15 oz can Tomato puree
- 2 7 oz can Green Chilies
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 packet Corn Bread Mix
- 2 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- ½ cup Cilantro chopped
- 1 cup Sour Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 deg.
- In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil, onions and garlic. Cook for three minutes then add ground beef, cumin and chili powder. Cook until no longer pink and add beans, tomato puree and one can of green chilies. Cook another 3 minutes then transfer contents to a 13×9 baking dish.
- In a bowl, prep corn bread mix as directed on package. Add second can of green chilies, half of cheese and half of cilantro.
- Spread corn bread mix over top of beef mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and half of remaining cilantro. Put in oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve in a shallow bowl with dollop of sour cream and cilantro.
Estelle Forrest self-published this cookbook after a lot of playing around in the kitchen. You can purchase your own copy here:
AVAILABLE IN PRINT OR KINDLE eBOOK VERSIONS
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I love the sound of your beef tamale pie! It sounds so hearty, warming and comforting.
Thank you for sharing this at Fiesta Friday 🙂
This sounds delicious!! Joining you from the Farm Fresh Tuesday Hop!
I believe my family would love this and I love that it is easy enough to make on a weeknight
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Lookies lovely === I could also see this on its own as a full meal, or with a salad. Thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday!
I have not made tamale pie for years but this sounds like a delicious version. I plan to give it a try soon.