Old-School Tamale Pie recipe

Name: Old-School Tamale Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon white sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 ½ cups milk; ½ cup cornmeal; 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese; 1 cup chopped onion; 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; ½ cup chopped green bell pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 1 cup frozen corn; 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste; 1 tablespoon sour cream, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step 2

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, and bell pepper in the hot skillet until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease.

Step 3

Stir tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, olives, chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper into the skillet. Bring to a low boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Cheddar cheese and continue to simmer until melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Step 4

Heat milk, butter, sugar, and salt for topping in a large saucepan over medium heat until butter has melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in cornmeal a little at a time, stirring vigorously with each addition, until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Drizzle in beaten eggs slowly, stirring vigorously until combined. Pour mixture over filling in the prepared dish, smoothing evenly over the surface.