Description
A hearty and flavorful Slow Cooker Tamale Pie featuring a savory ground beef filling spiced with chili powder and cumin, topped with a moist corn muffin mixture. Perfect for an easy, hands-off meal that combines the comforting flavors of a tamale casserole in one pot.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Filling:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 20 oz. Rotel Tomatoes (two 10 oz. cans)
- 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (to be added later)
For the Tamale Topping:
- 1 8.5-oz. pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 8.5 oz. can corn, drained (smaller can)
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: In a large non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked. Drain off excess fat to keep the dish from being greasy.
- Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Transfer the browned ground beef to the slow cooker. Add diced onion, green bell pepper, chili powder, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, Rotel tomatoes, pinto beans, and tomato paste. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Slow Cook Filling: Cover the slow cooker and cook the filling mixture on LOW for 5 hours to allow flavors to meld and ingredients to become tender.
- Add Cheese: After 5 hours, uncover and add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the filling. Stir thoroughly to combine the cheese into the hot mixture.
- Prepare Tamale Topping: In a small bowl, mix the Jiffy corn muffin mix, egg, milk, and drained corn until just combined. Some lumps in the batter are okay.
- Add Topping and Finish Cooking: Spread the tamale topping evenly over the meat mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and set the slow cooker to HIGH. Cook for an additional 30 minutes until the topping is set and cooked through.
- Serve: Once cooked, spoon servings onto plates and enjoy your warm, comforting tamale pie.
Notes
- Ensure to stir in the cheese after the initial cooking time and before adding the tamale topping to achieve a creamy texture.
- Do not skip the step of browning the beef for best flavor and texture.
- The Jiffy mix batter can have some lumps; overmixing is not necessary.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, add extra chili powder or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the filling.
- This recipe serves about 5 people and is great for leftovers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
