They are almost too cute to eat.
Almost, but not quite.
And when you see how easy these little pies are to prepare, you might give up buying frozen meals for good.
They take just THREE simple steps, the first of which is to simply throw a bunch of cans into a pot and wait. Not much harder than microwaving a frozen meal, is it?
The perfect comfort food for a chilly Fall night.
Katie’s Mexican Tamale Pies
(makes 4-5 pies)
- 1 can (15oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 small zucchini, cut into tiny pieces (optional)
- 1 can (15oz) corn, drained (or 1 3/4 cup fresh or frozen)
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp each: onion and garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- optional: hot sauce or red pepper flakes (for a spicier version)
- for the topping: 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups water, and optional 2 tsp oil. Or you could probably just use instant polenta and slice it on top.
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small pot and cook on low-medium for 40 minutes, stirring very occasionally as it bubbles. (If you prefer, you can even make this in a crockpot!) Meanwhile, if using the homemade polenta topping, combine all other ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. As soon as it starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and stir constantly until it thickens. Preheat the oven to 350 F and portion the bean mixture into oven-proof dishes or aluminum pans (as shown in the picture directly below these instructions). Top with polenta, smooth the tops, and bake 45 minutes. I also set the oven to “broil” for a few minutes at the end, to achieve more of a crust on top. You can either eat in the dish, or go around the sides and pop the pies out. (Note: if you sub fresh corn and/or unsalted tomatoes, you’ll probably want to add a little extra salt.)
View Tamale Pie Nutrition Facts
Above, before being covered with the cornmeal topping.
Link of the Day:
Made this tonight as a casserole since I didn’t have little pie tins and it was delicious! I also made a side salad with fresh tomatoes and avocado and served it on top. The cool fresh veggies added a nice touch to this great base. Thanks for a great recipe!
This recipe was a big hit with my family. The kids loved it. I substituted the garlic and onion powders with sautéed onion and garlic and it came out great. This is going in my favorite meals rotation. Thank you so much for this recipe : )
The recipe says 2 2/3 cups water when making the topping. Do you mean 2/3 cups water? Because I just did 2 2/3 cups and it is way way way too watery. It’s not going to work.
Hi Mae,
Are you trying to use instant (already cooked) polenta by any chance? If you are using the grains, and you cook it long enough, the liquid will be absorbed and it will get thick and fluffy. I know it’s not a typo with the recipe, as others have made it successfully. But maybe it just needs to be cooked longer… Be sure, also, that it’s uncovered while you’re cooking it.
Is that supposed to be 2/3 cup water instead of 2 and 2/3?
Oops just saw the last comment….
I just made this but w/ potato on top. Ughhh SO YUM!
This recipe is so easy and so yummy! We have made it our new Friday night dinner, and make it every week! It’s my favorite! I like to add some red pepper flakes to mine. They’re such a fantastic dinner! Thanks, Katie! 🙂
Do these freeze well? I assume so since you said they are kind of to replace frozen meals, but just wanted to check 🙂 Thanks
I froze them successfully. I reheated in the oven, but the microwave would probably work as long as you didn’t use aluminum pans.
Made this last night, it was delicious! I added an extra can of diced tomatoes and a can of black beans. I also added a layer of extra lean ground turkey, seasoned with taco seasoning, between the veggies and polenta crust. I paired it with some Spanish rice and fresh avocado and my boyfriend loved it! Thanks, Katie!
I made this last night and used a muffin tin. They turned out great! Thank you for posting this. I think this would also make a great pot luck type casserole, and definitely omni-friendly.
That answers the question I came here to ask. I’d love to make these in the muffin tins and then maybe freeze them!
How can I print your recipes? Just found your site and immediately jumped up and made your brownie pancakes. Can you say YUUUUM!?!? I topped with sugar free syrup and fat free whipped cream for a whopping extra 40 calories. What a treat. Thank you, thank you.
Hi! You can highlight just the recipe portion and press the “control” and then “c” buttons on your computer. Then open a Word document and paste :).