Tamale pie is a classic main course dish that mimics the taste of tamales with much less work. While it evolved from traditional Mexican food, the dish is Americanized. For more information on this dish, read on to learn how to make tamale pie.

The dish is relatively quick and easy to prepare, making it a popular choice for weeknight meals and a take-along dish for potluck dinners. Total preparation times takes around an hour, but much of that time is baking the completed pie.

The base is a cornbread crust, which is easy to make using purchased cornbread mix. Alternately, a simple crust can be prepared from scratch using cornmeal and water.

Tamale pie generally uses ground beef, although shredded pork or chicken work well too. To fill the pie, a variety of vegetables can be added, most commonly onion, bell pepper and tomatoes.

The recipe is extremely versatile, allowing for a variety of spices to be added or omitted based on how much heat you like in the dish. Garlic is a main staple of the spices, with chili powder, cumin and chiles also popular additions.

This guide shows the ingredients, preparation method and common variations for making tamale pie at home.

• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 16-oz. can corn kernels
• 1 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large casserole dish and set aside.
2. Heat the water and salt in a medium saucepan.
3. Add in the cornmeal and cook for about five minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Press two-thirds of the cornmeal mixture into the bottom and sides of the greased casserole dish.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
6. Add in the onion, bell pepper and ground beef. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, then drain.
7. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder, corn and crushed tomatoes.
8. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for about five minutes or until thickened.
9. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the cheese and cilantro.
10. Spoon the mixture over the cornbread crust in you baking dish.
11. Top with the remaining cornbread mixture.
12. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Allow to cool briefly, then serve and enjoy!

• Rather than using plain cornmeal for the base, use one package of cornbread mixture, combined with the wet ingredients according to package directions.
• Add in one can of pinto beans if desired, or substitute beans for the corn.
• Vary the type and amount of spices used to make the dish as spicy as you prefer.
• Use ground turkey or chicken or pulled pork, chicken or turkey in place of the ground beef.
• For a vegetarian version, omit the meat completely.