Tamale Pie

5 from 4 votes

This ground beef casserole is topped with a cheesy Jiffy cornbread crust for an easy dinner with about 15 minutes of prep.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword old school tamale pie, tamale pie, tamale pie recipe easy, tamale pie with cornbread topping

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 22

Total Time 37

Servings people

Calories 516.5kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes and green chilies, chili powder, and salt. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle with half of the cheese.
In a separate bowl, stir together the corn muffin mix, milk, egg, and remaining cheese. Pour over the beef filling in the skillet. Use a spatula to spread the topping in an even layer, covering and sealing in the meat mixture so that it doesn't bubble through the top.
Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the top of the crust comes out clean.

If you don't have a cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet), or if you plan to prepare the pie in advance for freezing, you can assemble the pie in an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish, or in a deep-dish pie plate.

This recipe is not gluten-free since the cornbread mix is not gluten-free. If you can find a gluten-free mix and a gluten-free enchilada sauce, the rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free.

Garnish individual servings of this easy tamale pie with chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, dollops of sour cream, or a spoonful of pico de gallo for even more bright flavor.