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spring hill ranch's tamale pie

(2 ratings)
WileyP avatar
Recipe by
Wiley P
@WileyP
Sierra Vista, AZ

Introduced in the 1940's with the burgeoning popularity of Mexican food, the tamale pie has evolved into a popular comfort food, particularly in the American south. Actually, tamale pie is a far cry from real tamales. Heavily Americanized as it is, though, it still hints at the flavors of the southwest, and this casserole is a welcome addition to the rotation.

(2 ratings)
yield 8 -10
prep time 30 Min
cook time 50 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For spring hill ranch's tamale pie

  • shortening for the baking dish
  • 2 lb
    80/20 ground beef
  • 2 md
    new mexico #6 or big jim chiles, roasted, peeled and diced (or 2 4.4-ounce cans of diced green chiles)
  • 1 lb
    (16 ounces net weight) salsa
  • 1 tsp
    ground chipotle powder or chile powder
  • 3/4 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried mexican oregano
  • 2 box
    (8.5 ounces each) cornbread muffin mix, divided, or whisk together:
  • 2x 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2x 1/2 cup yellow corn meal
  • 2x 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 2x 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2x 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2x 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 lg
    eggs at room temperature, divided
  • 1 c
    whole milk, divided
  • 8 oz
    grated mexican blend cheese (or 4 ounces each monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
  • 8 oz
    frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 can
    (15 ounces) cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 10 lg
    stuffed green olives, sliced (optional)
  • Garnish
    (optional):
  • sour cream
  • sliced ripe olives
  • chopped fresh cilantro

How To Make spring hill ranch's tamale pie

  • 1
    Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9"x13" casserole dish.
  • 2
    In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until it starts to brown and release its juices, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the chiles, salsa, chipotle powder, cumin and oregano. Cook, stirring regularly until the seasoned beef is crumbly and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
  • 3
    Mix one package of corn muffin mix in a large bowl with 1 egg and 1/2 cup of milk. Whisk to combine. In a separate large bowl, mix the second package of corn muffin mix with 1 egg, 1/2 cup of milk and half the cheeses.
  • 4
    Spread the prepared corn muffin mixture without cheese into the prepared baking dish - it will be a very thin layer. Sprinkle the corn over the muffin mix, followed by the black beans and then the remaining half of the cheeses. Then layer on the beef mixture. If using, spread the sliced green olives over the top of the meat. (In some regions, finding a green olive in your tamale is a sign of good luck.) Spoon the corn muffin mix with cheese on top of the beef and carefully spread it over the top with a fork, leaving about an inch from the edges of the pan. Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown on top.
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