Tasty Tamale Casserole

Time :1 hour 15 minutes
Yield :4 servings

Recipe Background

Tasty Tamale Casserole is the classic tamale experience in sliceable, shareable form! On top is the cheddar-packed, tender, summer-sweet cornbread exterior, and the inside is zesty, savory, and tantalizing seasoned beef and veggies! There's nothing quite like diving into Tasty Tamale Casserole and just letting the Tex-Mex fun pervade your taste buds!
Tasty Tamale Casserole is the classic tamale experience in sliceable, shareable form! On top is the cheddar-packed, tender, summer-sweet cornbread exterior, and the inside is zesty, savory, and tantalizing seasoned beef and veggies! There's nothing quite like diving into Tasty Tamale Casserole and just letting the Tex-Mex fun pervade your taste buds!

Ingredients

For the casserole:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup onions finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 (8.5-ounce) box cornbread/muffin mix plus the ingredients called for on the package
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Optional, for topping:

  • avocado to taste, diced
  • tomato to taste, diced
  • cilantro to taste, chopped

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil.
  • Add the ground beef, the salt, and the black pepper to the hot oil and cook, while crumbling, until the beef is browned but some pink remains, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the onions to the beef and cook, while stirring, until the onions are softened and the beef is no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic to the beef mixture and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the taco seasoning, the enchilada sauce, the beans, and the corn to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
  • Bring the beef mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the beef mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out into an even layer.
  • Prepare the cornbread batter, according to the package directions.
  • Add the cheddar cheese to the cornbread batter and stir until just combined.
  • Spread the cornbread batter evenly over the beef mixture in the baking dish.
  • Bake until the topping is golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread layer comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 40-45 minutes. If the cornbread starts to brown too quickly, tent the baking dish with foil.
  • Serve topped with the avocados, the tomatoes, and the cilantro.
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