Crust Me, I'm a Tamale

Beef Tamale Pie with Corn Tortilla Crust and Tomato-Chile Filling

1 hour
Serves 6
DinnerMexican
Herb's take

This Mexican-inspired casserole layers seasoned ground beef and tangy whole tomatoes under a crisped corn tortilla crust, fusing classic tamale flavors with weeknight, one-pan ease. You’ll learn the art of blooming spices and building a truly beefy, saucy base, no masa required.

Ingredients

Yield
6

Instructions

  1. 01
    Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  2. 02
    Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Add diced onion and cook until softened and golden, about 5 minutes.
  3. 03
    Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Drain off excess fat if needed.
  4. 04
    Stir in garlic, chipotle, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  5. 05
    Pour in the whole peeled tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes by hand as you add them. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
  6. 06
    Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  7. 07
    Arrange 6 corn tortillas over the beef mixture, overlapping to cover most of the surface. Tear or cut the last 2 tortillas to fill gaps at the edges.
  8. 08
    Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the tortillas.
  9. 09
    Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the tortillas are crisp at the edges.
  10. 10
    Remove from oven. Let rest 5 minutes before garnishing.
  11. 11
    Top with chopped cilantro and sliced scallions, then slice into wedges and serve.

Want your own batch?

I don't run a recipe search engine—I invent dishes from what you tell me. Toss me some ingredients on the home page.

Crust Me, I'm a Tamale | Cook with Herb