Easy Tamale Casserole

Easy tamale casserole is a fun dinner that has the flavor of tamales in a quick and fun layered casserole form. Tamale pie is a perfectly flavorful weeknight dinner that is sure to be a hit!

This tamale casserole is much quicker to make than tamales themselves, but it is loaded with delicious flavor that your family will love.  The delicious cornmeal base whips up quick.

The sauce, meat and melted cheese are the perfect way to bring it together.  Top it with all of your favorite toppings and your family will be begging for this to be in the regular dinner menu rotation!

Obviously tamales are a special occasion food. They some time to put together and little finesse.

Taking a little bit of that feel and flavor and turning it into a casserole makes everything more approachable and doable for a weeknight meal. So tamale pie is much more likely to make an appearance at our dinner table than the real deal.

Of course this tamale pie is nowhere near traditional. But it is a fun play on the idea of a tamale.

I suppose it is another fun entry for your Tex-Mex repertoire, with a little midwesterner thrown in for fun. Maybe we can go ahead and call it fusion to make it extra hip!

Carlee’s Tips and Tricks

Of course if you are going to name something after tamales, there needs to be cornmeal. Instead of making a masa, this recipe uses a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix as the base.

If you don’t want to use a mix, check out my recipe for homemade tamale pie. I has the same feeling as this recipe, but starts with individual ingredients instead of the mix.

Either way, the end result is delicious. The mix shaves a few minutes and ingredients off the list making getting dinner on the table that much easier.

There is no shame in a shortcut if it means getting a tasty homemade dinner on the table instead of ordering out. So do whatever works for you!

Use whatever kind of ground meat floats your boat on top of the cornbread base. I started making this recipe using ground turkey almost exclusively just because it is economical and easily sourced.

However ground venison is a great option as well. We love using venison in recipes like tacos and the spices in this casserole lend itself well to the flavor of that meat if you have hunters in your family.

Of course ground beef is a perfectly tasty option as well. Whatever you happen to have is great!

The sauce is another place where you can choose to make it easy, or go whole hog. Open up a can of enchilada sauce if you have one you love, or make your own homemade enchilada sauce if you would like.

It is completely up to you and the amount of time and ambition you have. I’ve only ever made it with red enchilada sauce, but I can’t see any reason why you can’t use green if that’s your favorite.

Of course a layered of melty cheese makes a casserole that much better. So a nice smattering of cheese on top is pretty much a requirement.

We almost always have colby jack on hand, so that is what I tend to reach for. However, cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack or whatever you have is sure to work wonderfully.

Toppings

The toppings are a great place to make this meal your own. There are so many fabulous options you could sprinkle on top.

We love sour cream, so that is nearly a necessity around here. A handful of chopped cilantro adds a pop of fresh herbiness, but leave it off if that’s not your jam.

A spoonful of guacamole is another way to add that creaminess to a dish. I certainly wouldn’t say no to some yummy guac on top.

A spoonful of salsa or a bit of chopped tomato would be another way to top it off. Or add some jalapenos for added spicy kick!

It is fun to set out a variety of toppings and let everyone customize their own plate with whatever goodies speak to them. Then everyone can have their own masterpiece!

If you are looking for something sweet to finish the meal, fried ice cream bars would be a fun option. Or you could try cinnamon sopapilla cheesecake bars or layered lime sherbet bars for fun and flavorful desserts.