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A Tamale Pie for my Dutch Friends

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Tamale Pie is a spicy Tex-Mex dish with a mixture of ground beef, corn, and beans topped with a thin layer of cornbread. Serve with chips and guacamole.

A slice of tamale pie on a plate


We recently had houseguests from Holland who have been our friends since I was a goofy 17-yr-old exchange student staying at his parent’s house one summer.

I  prepared this recipe because it is Tex-Mex spicy deliciousness at its best. It’s easy to make ahead of time and holds for hours, if necessary. It makes a lot but it’s a wonderful leftover, too.

Bert and his son Roelof loved it, and I promised to post the recipe here. I hope the ingredients are available in the Netherlands.

I’m not much for processed foods, but I will make exceptions.  This is made easier with canned soup and beans.  No need to add extra salt. You’ll get plenty out of the cans.

Substitutions:

Adjust seasonings to your personal tastes, especially the chili powder.  I like to substitute smoky chipotle powder for some of the chili powder.  Serve this with chips, salsa, and guacamole.  A salad (out of a jar, of course) on the side completes the meal.

tamale pie meat and veggie mixture in a skillet
baked tamale pie with serving spoon

Pin the picture below to save for later.

Tamale Pie - 1 serving on a plate

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, consider helping other readers and me by returning to this post. Leave a rating on the recipe card itself underneath the picture. Although always appreciated, comments aren’t required. Thank you for visiting! Paula

A Tamale Pie

A Tamale Pie

Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Spicy Mexican vegetable and bean mixture topped with cornbread.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 large onions, chopped
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 3 cans condensed tomato soup or 4 small cans tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder (negotiable)
  • 1/2 cup ripe olives, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup canned or frozen corn
  • 2 cans ranch style or pinto beans
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon soda
  • 3/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup buttermilk or thinned unflavored yogurt
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 2 tablespoons salad oil

Instructions

Meat Mixture:

  1. Brown onion and meat. Drain off any fat. Add remaining ingredients and pour into two, 2-quart greased casseroles and cover.
  2. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 hours.

Cornbread Layer:

  1. Combine first five ingredients in small bowl. Add buttermilk or yogurt, egg and salad oil and stir just until combined. Remove casserole from oven and spread corn bread batter evenly over the top. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Serves 10 to 12.

Notes

*May be doubled for a large crowd.

*Want to use a crock pot? Prepare the meat and vegetable mixture and place in crock pot on LOW anywhere from 3-8 hours. When you walk in the door, preheat the oven, mix up the cornbread mixture and pop into the oven to finish baking.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 521 Total Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 102mg Sodium: 1137mg Carbohydrates: 46g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 14g Protein: 33g
© Paula of saladinajar.com
Cuisine: Tex-Mex / Category: Beef
A one dish dinner -Tamale Pie-a mildly spicy meat, bean and corn mixture topped with cornbread.

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  1. Stephanie

    As soon as I saw this picture on the ‘Texas Fiesta Bowls’ (Which I made, & really loved, served with yellow rice and really kept me full) I had to click the link! I will be making this soon, I love any cornbread and any kind of bean. I’ve only click a few recipes of yours but I love how they are so simple and never really ask for anything extravagant that I don’t already have. Your site is awesome! Take care!

    Reply

  3. Nina

    Paula–this looks *wonderful*. I am sure your guests appreciated it much! What a terrific dish to make for them. The cornbread layer looks really good. I *love* cornbread that is made with buttermilk…its the southern in me! 😉

    Reply

  6. Debbie

    Had something similar to this at work this past week although I am sure yours is better. Will have to try it now that I have a recipe. Looks great!

    Reply