Beef Tamale Casserole

This Beef Tamale Casserole will certainly make your dinner time easy. We’re talking comfort food to the max: layers of cornbread, enchilada sauce, spiced ground beef, all loaded with cheese then baked to perfection!

My kind of comfort food are tamale casseroles or pies. I have made this tamale casserole many times, with both chicken and beef. Can’t really say I have a favorite, because I love them all. This dish isn’t really about the meat, but about that yummy cornbread and that cheese.

This beef tamale casserole is so good, that I really hate sharing it with anyone but alas it’s impossible not to once that wonderful aroma fills the house as it cooks. I love the fact that I can top it with all my favorite taco toppings, like avocados, cilantro, tomatoes, green onions, whatever you like. But you must top it with something, because the toppings really make it way better, that is if you can improve upon perfection.

What Is Tamale?

Tamale is a Mexican dish of seasoned meat wrapped in cornmeal dough and then steamed or baked in corn husks. You can then discard of the corn husks or use them as an all natural plate to eat the delicious tamales off of. Yep, pretty cool! Now my dish is not authentic by any means, consider it merely inspired by the deliciousness of the simple tamale.

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Corn bread

• Dry ingredients – Corn meal, salt, baking powder, sugar.
• Wet ingredients – Buttermilk, melted unsalted butter, 1 egg, 1 can of creamed corn, and 1 can of diced green chilis.

Beef

• Ground beef – I just used regular ground beef today, feel free to use extra lean if you’d like.
• Olive oil – To brown our beef.
• Onion – I like to use something that cooks down well in a dish like this, yellow or white will do in a pinch.
• Garlic –  Use as much or little as you like.
• Spices – Chili powder, cumin, and chipotle powder.
• Seasoning – Salt and pepper.

Casserole

• Enchilada sauce – 1 can, if you’d prefer to make it fresh please refer to my recipe listed down below.
• Cheese – I used freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese today. You can substitute this for cheddar or any kind of cheese that melts down well.
• Cilantro – Chopped up fine and sprinkled liberally over top, totally optional if you’re not a cilantro fan.
• Avocado – This will add a nice buttery texture to your finished dish.
• Jalapeno – Sliced up fresh if you’re into a bit of heat.

How To Make Beef Tamale Casserole

Corn bread

1. Preheat your oven: To 400 F degrees.
2. Combine the cornbread ingredients: Add the cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder to a medium size bowl and whisk together. Add the egg, butter, and buttermilk and whisk well. Stir in the creamed corn and the green chiles.
3. Bake the cornbread: Pour the cornbread mixture into a large skillet or a 9×9 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden and the cornbread is done. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cornbread, if it comes out clean, it’s done.

Beef

1.  Create the beef layer: In another large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, then add the onion, garlic, cumin, chipotle powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and stir. Cook until the onion has softened, another 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Introduce the sauce: Add half of the enchilada sauce to the meat mixture and stir. Set aside as we will use this over the corn bread later.

Assembly

1. Score the cornbread: When the cornbread is done, poke holes into it with a fork, or I used the end of a wooden spoon. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the cornbread and spread. Top with the ground beef and the shredded cheese.
2. Finish the Beef Tamale Casserole: Bake the casserole for another 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and has started to lightly brown on top. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then top the casserole with cilantro and your favorite toppings and you’re done!

Want To Make Your Own Enchilada Sauce?

Making your own homemade enchilada sauce will really take this dish to the next level, believe me. I chose to use store bought today because I wanted to showcase how to achieve great flavor with relative ease. I have a recipe here on the blog for making this sauce yourself, it’s easy and super tasty!

What Else Can I Use In Beef Tamale Casserole?

There’s lots you can add or tweak in this dish, while I think the recipe described above is an absolute knock out any way you slice it, don’t be afraid to play around with your new favorite casserole.

Leftovers

This dish can be stored in the fridge for 3 – 4 days as long as it’s stored in an airtight container or otherwise tightly sealed.

Freezer

This entire casserole can be popped in the freezer, as long as it’s tightly sealed. It can be stored this way for up to 6 months and just needs to thaw out overnight in the fridge when ready to eat. Just pop it in the oven set at 350 F degrees for 30 minutes when ready to enjoy!

More Delicious Recipes To Try:

• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
• Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
• Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
• Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• Buffalo Chicken Lasagna