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.
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Looks lovely, katie! And I do buy frozen meals on occasion, but I try to keep the sodium content and saturated fat down in the entrees I buy. I like Amy’s teriyaki tofu bowl, Light Life Bella Portabello “Chik’n”, and the butternut squash ravioli from Lean Cuisine. I haven’t had any success with others frozen meals besides those three!
I make this all the time! But instead of cornmeal I use sweet potato 🙂
Cornmeal is a good idea!
These look so yummy! Though I’m not a massive fan of polenta. I think some dried sage, chopped cashews and rolled oats would make a lovely, nutritional crust 🙂
Love your recipes, Katie! I am a HUGE fan of your desserts, but I’d love to see more non-dessert recipes too. They’re always so simple, healthy and delicious!
I’m addicted to Amy’s frozen non-dairy burritos. Best convenience food ever. I waste waaaay too much money on them. I need to try a homemade version for sure!
Thank you so much for this! My 22 month old son loves the Amy’s version (it’s been our go-to for a quick, healthy lunch on non-cooking days) but we haven’t been able to find them at our local Whole Foods lately (did they discontinue them?). I am thrilled to find a copycat version that I can make for him. He loves hunting for “beanie weanies.”. His other favorite meal consists of Korean kimchi dumplings (he loves spicy foods perhaps because that is what I ate a lot of while pregnant). Any chance you’ll try coming up with a recipe for those? 🙂
I can try 🙂
I’m a big fan of dinners that take just 3 steps!
I was going to leave a post yesterday, but for some reason my ipad wouldnt let me highlight the comment box. Anyway, i just wanted to say that these look amazing, cant wait to try them, and your so lucky to have started getting some cooler weather, still hot here in Fl. Have an awesome day! Cant wait to see what you come up with next.
Wow, these look delish! Tis would make for a perfect little lunch!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks for the copycat recipe. I have bought those Amy frozen entrees many times and they are delicious but so pricey!