Easy Tamales Recipe | Little Luna
Easy Tamales Recipe | Little Luna
Filled with spices and hearty meat, tamales come with a superb tamale crust filled with beef, peppers, cheese, and more. It’s a delicious one-pot meal, and it’s so easy to make!
This delicious sheet pan is a delicious weeknight meal. It comes together in about 30 minutes and is served straight from the pan. For more weekend wonders, try Taco Casserole, Ham and Cheese Sliders and Pizza Casserole.
Easier than traditional tamales!
We love tamales, but they are really time consuming. We probably make it once a year. However, I love tamales and their flavor!
This easy pie allows me to tackle my tamales with less work and less time. win win! ! !
Tamale pie is basically a casserole version of a traditional Mexican dish. Tamales are made by taking corn husks and sprinkle some cornmeal dough on them. Then you fill it with meat, beans, vegetables, corn, cheese, etc… and steam. This recipe takes classic tamale flavors and turns it into an easy and delicious casserole.
How to Make Tamales
Prepare. Preheat oven to 350.
Brown. In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, cook the ground beef, breaking it into pieces as it cooks. When the ground beef is browned and cooked, drain the fat.
combine. Add the hot sauce, a can of green chilies, chili powder and cumin to the pan and toss to combine. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese on top.
muffin. Prepare corn muffin mixture according to box directions, then add remaining jar of green peppers and remaining ½ cup cheese. Spread the batter evenly over the beef mixture in the pan.
Bake and Cool. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and cooked through. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
No oven proof skillet? Transfer ground beef mixture to casserole dish. Top with cornbread batter and bake until top is cooked through.
Beef Variations: Instead of using ground turkey or chicken. You can also spice up the beef mixture by adding sausage.
black pepper: For a nice crust, top the batter with jalapeño slices. They will bake beautifully into a delicious brown crust.
cheese: You can use pepper jack, Monterey jack or cheddar or your favorite blend.
Spice Level: Add fresh diced jalapeños or a dash of Tabasco sauce or chorizo ​​for heat.
make it a freezer meal
Make the casserole as directed and place it in a freezer-safe casserole. Put it in the refrigerator until the batter is solid. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, then foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake, remove the wrapper and let it sit at room temperature for an hour or so before baking. Since this dish gets cold from freezing, you may need to increase the baking time a bit. Bake until the center is bubbly and the crust is cooked through and browned.
side and storage
Serve Your Tamales:
To store leftovers: Divide the remaining pie into sized portions. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Pies can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or 1-2 months in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave, or transfer to an oven-safe plate and bake in the oven until hot.
For more Mexican casseroles, check out:
main course
American food
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 8
by Lil’ Luna
- 1 pound lean beef
- 1 10-ounce can red hot sauce
- 2 4-ounce cans green chiles
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 8.5-ounce box corn muffin mix plus toppings called for on the box
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Preheat oven to 350.
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In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, cook the ground beef, breaking it into pieces as it cooks. When the ground beef is browned and cooked, drain the fat. Add the hot sauce, a can of green chiles, chili powder, and cumin to the pan and toss to combine. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese on top.
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Prepare the corn muffin mixture according to the directions on the box, then add the remaining jar of green peppers and the remaining ½ cup cheese. Spread the batter evenly over the beef mixture in the pan.
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Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and cooked through. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.