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HomeMealtimeRecipes

Family Favorite Tamale Pie Recipe

4.58 from 7 votes
Angela SellariBy Angela Sellari
Angela Sellari
Angela Sellari Founder of AboutAMom

Angela is the founder of About A Mom and currently acts as a content creator and editor-in-chief for the About A Mom Team. She has been a professional blogger for over 10 years. Angela has appeared…

Expertise: Content Creation & Editing View all posts →
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This tamale pie recipe has a flavorful beef and tomato filling, and a Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread topping.

I can’t think of many foods I enjoy more than this zesty beef and cornbread combination. Add a dollop sour cream on top, and I’m a happy camper. This is one of those meals that I like to share with grandma and grandpa. My Dad is a huge fan of this dish.

The beef filling gets some additional flavor and texture from diced green bell pepper, corn and sliced green olives with pimento. You don’t often see green olives in tamale pie recipes. Sometimes black olives, but not green. I absolutely love the addition. I think it stems from the large Cuban community we have here in Central Florida. I love the fusion of Mexican and Cuban inspired cuisine. You really get that in this dish, and I think you’re going to like it too.

I also think you’re going to love the extra bit of flavor that comes with the Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread mix, not to mention the convenience factor. This recipe calls for just 1 packet of the Martha White Cornbread mix, but if you like an extra thick layer of cornbread go with two.

This tamale pie recipe has a flavorful beef and tomato filling, and a Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread topping.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
  • 1 can (14.5-ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup sliced green olives with pimento (optional)
  • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
  • Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread and Muffin Mix
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg beaten

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2: Prepare the Filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot. Add the onion, green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Reduce the heat to medium and add the ground beef to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until browned, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the meat is browned, add the onion mixture back to the pan. Stir in the corn, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and salt. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand while preparing the cornbread topping.

Step 4: Prepare the Cornbread Topping: In a bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, milk and egg, until smooth.

Step 5: Assemble and Bake the Pie: Stir the olives and shredded cheese into the beef mixture and pour it into a 9×13-inch baking dish, smoothing the top. Pour the cornbread batter over the filling, using a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the pie to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

YUM.

This tamale pie recipe has a flavorful beef and tomato filling, and a Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread topping.

Family Favorite Tamale Pie Recipe

Angela Sellari
This tamale pie recipe has a flavorful beef and tomato filling, and a Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread topping.
4.58 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8
Calories 333 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 1/2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
  • 1 can 14.5-ounces diced tomatoes, drained
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup sliced green olives with pimento optional
  • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
  • Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread and Muffin
  • Mix 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg beaten

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Prepare the Filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot. Add the onion, green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add the ground beef to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until browned, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the meat is browned, add the onion mixture back to the pan. Stir in the corn, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and salt. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand while preparing the cornbread topping.
  • Prepare the Cornbread Topping: In a bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, milk and egg, until smooth.
  • Assemble and Bake the Pie: Stir the olives and shredded cheese into the beef mixture and pour it into a 9×13-inch baking dish, smoothing the top. Pour the cornbread batter over the filling, using a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the pie to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 21gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 1009mgFiber: 2g
Keyword Family Favorite Tamale Pie
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About Angela SellariContent Creation & Editing

Angela is the founder of About A Mom and currently acts as a content creator and editor-in-chief for the About A Mom Team. She has been a professional blogger for over 10 years. Angela has appeared in numerous TV segments, advertising campaigns and her work has been featured by many top publications. She lives in Tampa, Florida.

Reader Interactions

Published: Mar 2, 2017 | Updated: Oct 17, 2025
4.58 from 7 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Heidi Bee says

    Posted on 3/3 at 8:30 AM

    Oh man, there s looks so amazing. A great family dinner!

    Reply
  2. keikilani says

    Posted on 3/3 at 3:51 PM

    You totally have me drooling! I love anything with olives in it! Going to try this next week.

    Reply
  3. Ashley Mullins says

    Posted on 3/3 at 5:03 PM

    This looks like comfort food to me. So delicious. I’m sure my family would love it.

    Reply
  4. Ashley says

    Posted on 3/3 at 7:03 PM

    I need to make this tamale recipe. That looks delicious I would eat it all up

    Reply
  5. carissa garabedian says

    Posted on 3/3 at 8:55 PM

    Yum, what a great combo of flavors and it does not look to tough for me to try! Corn , olives and cumin- so delicious

    Reply
  6. Bree says

    Posted on 3/3 at 9:01 PM

    This looks so delicious! I will definitely have to make this one night for the family. Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  7. Liz Mays says

    Posted on 3/3 at 9:29 PM

    This does sound really good. Those flavors with that cornbread must be really nice. I think we’d like this.

    Reply
  8. Scott says

    Posted on 3/3 at 10:00 PM

    I can’t remember the last time I had a tamale pie. A co-worker made us one and we’ve remembered it every since!

    Reply
  9. Claudia Krusch says

    Posted on 3/3 at 11:14 PM

    I need to make this tamale recipe. It looks soooo good! So many amazing ingredients!

    Reply
  10. Mandy says

    Posted on 3/3 at 11:32 PM

    I’ve never had a tamale pie but all the flavors sounds great. Perfect family meal!

    Reply
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