Onion Tamale Pie
There’s nothing like a simple casserole for dinner to make life a little easier. This tamale pie tops seasoned beef with a thin layer or cornbread for a meal that checks all the boxes. It’s topped with a homemade salsa that brightens the flavors and adds a burst of fresh veggies.
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef (85 – 90 percent lean)
2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
¾ cup of prepared enchilada sauce or taco sauce
1 (8.5 ounce) box cornbread or corn muffin mix*
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh Salsa
2 cocktail or Roma tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup diced yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Preparation
Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with butter. Add the ground beef to a large skillet and cook for 3 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces. Add the onion. Continue to cook until the ground beef is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and the enchilada or taco sauce. Transfer the beef to the baking pan.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the cornbread batter according to the package directions. Pour the batter over the beef working to cover all the meat as best you can. Bake for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the cheese over the cornbread once it has set and bake for 20 more minutes until the top is browned and cornbread is baked through. While the tamale pie bakes, stir together the salsa ingredients. Spread the fresh salsa over the tamale pie and serve warm.
*Note: You will also need the ingredients necessary to make the cornbread per package directions (egg, oil, milk, etc.).
