A delicious Southern comfort food, this Green Chile Tamale Pie is a delicious vegetarian recipe filled with protein.

Tamale Pie Recipe

When my friend Stacey and I went to Santa Fe a couple years ago, I was so pumped to try my first tamale pie.

I ordered it thinking it was a traditional New Mexican comfort food, but it turns out it was probably invented in Texas sometime in the early 1900s. It’s much easier to prepare than traditional tamales, which is why you’re more likely to see it on a Southern menu than authentic tamales.

You can prepare it vegetarian-style or with meat, whatever you prefer. The recipe can even be made gluten-free if you use a C4C flour blend in place of the white flour – but whatever you do, don’t skimp on the cheese and be sure to fill or top it with something super yummy, like our seasoned pinto bean and corn mixture.

While I used Caribbean seasoning, you can use whatever spice blend you like – a Cowboy-style seasoning or a Taco seasoning would also be delicious.

Ingredients for Tamale Pie

1 cup onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 can mild green chilies
2 Tablespoon Pod & Bean™ Green Chili Hot Sauce
2 teaspoon Pod & Bean™ Caribbean Seasoning Blend
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon flour (white or gluten-free blend)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 cup cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 ½ cups whole kernel corn
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Non-stick cooking spray

Tip: you can add cooked meat to this dish, as desired.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

Skillet or Glass Casserole Dish
Saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk
Mixing bowl

How to Make a Tamale Pie

In medium saucepan, add the first four ingredients and heat. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.

Add flour and Pod & Bean™ Caribbean Seasoning Blend and whisk well.

Add pinto beans and tomato sauce. Heat until simmering. Do not burn.

Preheat oven 350°F. Spray non-stick cooking spray in a glass 9 x 13” pan (or cast iron skillet as we did).

In a medium bowl, add cornmeal, baking soda, salt, milk and egg and mix until smooth.

Pour ¾ cornmeal batter in bottom of pan. Add 1 cup shredded cheese over the batter. Add contents of saucepan and whole kernel corn and evenly distribute

Drizzle the balance of cornmeal batter across lengthwise in thin lines. Sprinkle 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese on the top.

Bake 35 minutes. Batter will rise up on the sides of the pan and cover the filling.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

This recipe was shared with me from THE COCOA EXHANGE™ POD & BEAN™. (Not a sponsored post)

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Green Chile Tamale Pie

Ingredients

1 cup onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 can mild green chilies
2 Tablespoon Pod & Bean™ Green Chili Hot Sauce
2 teaspoon Pod & Bean™ Caribbean Seasoning Blend
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon flour (white or gluten-free blend)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 cup cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 ½ cups whole kernel corn
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Non-stick cooking spray

If you’re a fan of tamales but not the amount of work that goes into preparing them, this delicious Tamale Pie recipe is right up your alley!

For more delicious vegetarian recipes with serious flavor, check out our Mexican Rice Stuffed Peppers or our Crockpot Caribbean Rice and Beans.

Check out our other Vegetable Recipes here:

Green Chile Tamale Pie