Tamale pie was always one of my favorite dinners growing up. I have tried over the years to reproduce this dish and can’t quite get it right although I have come close, with Tamale Pie. The one I grew up eating used hamburger but this version uses chicken and can be prepared fairly quickly for a weeknight dinner. This version, while not the same, has all the best parts. It has a delicious cornbread base with creamed corn and chilies, and then it’s topped with chicken and cheese.
How to make Chicken Tamale Pie Casserole
Step 1: Save time and use a rotisserie chicken and use the extra time to make homemade enchilada sauce. If you’re in a hurry, the pre-made version will still make a wonderful dish, but if you haven’t made your own enchilada sauce, spend a few minutes and do so.
Step 2: Prepare a cornbread base using creamed corn and green chilies and bake it in an oven proof skillet. Use all your restraint and don’t eat the cornbread, but do poke it with a fork so some of the topping seeps in.
Step 3: Add shredded chicken and enchilada sauce and spread it over the baked cornbread.
Step 4: Add cheese and a few jalapeno’s to the top to spice things up. Bake until the cheese is gooey. Serve with avocado, purely optional, as is the amount and type of cheese you use. I’m not sure the photos do this justice.
Somehow, the cornbread was light and fluffy and the seasoned chicken and cheese brought all the flavors together to make a delicious dinner. Growing up with casseroles, I’m always searching for one pot meals and I’ll bet this one will be a favorite in your house.
More Casseroles to make:
For the homemade Enchilada Sauce, I used a recipe from How Sweat Eats.
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Adapted from Jo Cooks
Chicken Tamale Pie Casserole
Ingredients
CORNBREAD
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup Del Monte Canned Fresh Cut Golden Sweet Cream Style Corn, 14.75-Ounce
">creamed corn - 4.5 ounces Hatch Mild Diced Green Chilies, 4 oz">diced green chiles
">creamed corn
">diced green chilesFILLING
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- ½ jalapeno diced
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce homemade or prepared
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º. Butter a 12 inch ovenproof skillet or 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
- CORNBREAD: Combine cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl and whisk together. Add egg, melted butter and buttermilk and whisk together until just combined. Fold in corn and chilies. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 20- 25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. You don’t want this to be under done or it will be soggy.
- Remove from the oven and poke with a fork or the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Combine shredded chicken with about half of the enchilada sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the cornbread them add shredded chicken.
- Combine cheeses with diced jalapeño and place on to of the chicken.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and it has started to brown. let cool for a few minutes and top with jalapeños, avocado, sour cream, cilantro etc.
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