We love flavors inspired by Mexican food and while this tamale pie is far from an authentic dish, it is quick and easy, perfect for RV cooking on a day you need to cook inside and don’t mind firing up the oven.
Start by preparing the cornbread base: mix half of a gluten-free cornbread mix with half a cup of frozen or canned corn (drained), half a cup of Greek yogurt, and on egg. The mixture will be dry and sticky. If it is too dry, add a little milk or half and half. Spread the mixture into a baking pan. Place into a 400º oven and bake for 15 minutes. It will not be golden and crispy and it should be set in the center, but not “done.”
While the cornbread mixture is in the oven, prepare the topping. On the stove top, sauté one large diced onion in olive oil until tender then add 2 cloves of minced garlic for another minute. Add one tablespoon (about half a packet) of taco seasoning, two cups of diced cooked chicken, and about half a cup of enchilada sauce. The chicken can be poached, grilled leftover from a previous meal, or a rotisserie chicken that has been shredded. It doesn’t even have to be chicken. We grilled pork chops the night before and made a couple of extras for this meal.
Take the cornbread out of the oven and poke holes in it with the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour about half a cup of enchilada sauce over the mixture, allowing the sauce to fill in the holes.
Top with the chicken mixture.
Cover the whole thing with a layer of shredded cheddar or Mexi-blend. If yours is as full as mine, place it on a cookie sheet or you will end up with a huge mess (I may speak from experience here)!
Bake for another twenty minutes, until bubbly and the cheese has toasted. Bubbly and toasted are two of my favorite cooking techniques!
Serve with guacamole, green salad, or eat it all by itself. Stay tuned in future weeks for more traditional recipes turned into casseroles for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Leave a comment below with your favorite dinner casserole recipe, maybe we will feature it as one of our recipes of the week.
Chicken Tamale Pie
- 1/2 package of gluten-free corn bread mix (we like Krusteaz brand)
- 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt (sub sour cream if you prefer)
- 1/2 corn kernels (frozen or drained canned)
- 1 egg
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T taco seasoning (about 1/2 a packet)
- 2 c diced chicken or pork, already cooked
- 1 c enchilada sauce, divided (I buy the small-sized can and use the whole thing)
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexi-cheese, or pepper jack, or whatever you have on hand)
Preheat the oven to 400º. Prepare the base by mixing cornbread mix, yogurt, corn, and egg in a bowl. The mixture will be dry but if it doesn’t come together, add a little milk or half and half. Spread the mixture into a 9×9 pan and bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the topping.
In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Add taco seasoning, 1/2 c sauce, and chicken. Cook until heated through.
Remove the cornbread from the oven. It will not be done but should be mostly set in the center. Poke holes throughout with the handle of a wooden spoon and top with the remaining enchilada sauce. Top with the chicken mixture and finally, the cheese.
Bake for another 20 minutes until bubbly and the cheese has melted and toasted.
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