Tamale Pie I

I made a few changes and it turned out really well. First of all, when you are cooking the meat, onions and garlic, add some RUBBED SAGE, CAYENNE PEPPER, CUMIN and a small dash of PARSLEY FLAKES. This gives it much more flavor. I also used a half of a can of tomato paste instead of tomatoes. Add a can of kidney beans too...YUM! It does turn out a little mushy, if that is not what you are looking for, don't add the egg, milk or cornmeal to the rest of the ingredients. Instead, make a cornmeal batter (you can even use the boxed one--follow the recipe on the box) and poor the batter over the top so it will form a nice cornbread over the top. This will solve the mushy aspect (which I didn't mind so much)And yes, it is rather ugly to behold....but give it a try. My husband wolfed it down. :) . Hope that helps.

I made cornbread batter instead of mixing it in the meat. I used creamed corn, included the kidney beans, and added salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, along with the chili powder to season up the meat. I did not drain the meat, but I do recommend draining it prior to adding all the spices. The cornbread had a hard crust and not soggy in the middle. Turned out really good!

I made a tamale pie like this for years, I raised four kids on it. I loved it, easy, filling and inexpensive. I used Grandma's seasoning instead of chili power, added extra onion and cheese. I baked it in a cast iron dutch oven. It was always a hit.

This recipe is similar to one our family has used for years. But we up the flavor by adding salt, pepper, and enough chili powder to give it a little bite. Also, we use whole kernel canned or frozen corn instead of creamed corn for improved texture.

I made this recipe but made the corn bread batter and poured it over the top. My family liked it so much I made two pans and both were gone in one sitting. Wow what an awesome meal.

I'm agreeing that this was dull. And dry. I expected it to form its own crust, and it sort of did, but a lot of the cornmeal was just throughout the dish and made it very gritty. Sorry, this just isn't very good.

This recipe did not meet my expectations. It was very bland and needs flavor. Also, I had expected the dish to cook into a "bread" like cornbread. It does not and only the top was not mushy. The basics are good however, needs more cornmeal and flavorings.

Very mushy...the first bite was okay, the second bite made me full. I will not make this again.

This is much better made ahead-I put it in two casserole dishes since it makes quite a lot. I used frozen corn, didn't have any canned cream corn. I liked it much better the second go round-the flavors merged more or something. I think I'd like to try this with a shredded pork or chicken rather than ground beef-the latter gives it that institution food quality (think elementary school). Anyway, it's good for a crowd and it's good served with condiments (sour cream, hot sauce, shredded cheese, diced toms etc

wonderful. I didn't follow it perfectly..but was very quick and definitely something new for my family.

I really enjoyed this recipe, but I changed it up a good deal. I added an extra clove of garlic, garlic powder, about two tablespoons of cumin, good deal of salt and pepper, as it was very flat without those, kidney beans instead of black beans, sriracha, and I made cornbread from a mix and poured it over the mixture rather than blending it all in. My family loved it and told me to save the recipe as they would love to have it agin.

The pie does not come out looking like the picture. The cornmeal should make a topping not a mush. There is no seasoning listed in the recipe so I had to add spices to give it a Mexican flavor. I was able to make it palatable but I would not make this again.

This recipe has very little flavor and it's mushy. Definitely add some spices like cumin or chili pepper to give it some pep. It is also very unappealing looking.

I think it's delicious. I followed the other reviewers, and changed it a bit, or a lot, I suppose. I used the beef, tomatoes, and olives, and added some chile powder and Italian seasoning to the ground beef, a small can of enchilada sauce, a can of black beans, a handful of seeded and chopped serrano peppers, and frozen corn instead of creamed. I made a cornbread topping, but added a few teaspoons of cornmeal to the filling to help thicken it, and baked it according to directions. It's very tasty and I will take it to my next potluck.

It was pretty good but I looked at the reviews and made quite a few changes. I add: a can of black beans drained and rinsed 1 cup of frozen corn and not the creamed corn 2 teaspoons cumin salt a can of chiles Then I made up a recipe of cornbread and spooned it over the mixture. Pretty good.

This recipe turned out rather bland. It also remained mushy.

I would have given this recipe a 5 star but I ended up tweeking it and found that I like it better my way. I read the reviews and so many said that it was tasteless and that it was mushy. And that they expected a cornbread top and it and didn't get it. Well here is what I did. Instead of using corn meal in my filler I used flavored fritos corn chips all mashed up, and while my hamburger was frying I added two packages of taco seasoning. Then I just used a boxed cornbread mix and added a can of cream corn and put some on the bottom of my casserole and the rest on top. It came out great. I let it sit for about 10 minutes and served it with taco sauce, sour cream and a green salad on the side.

This is a tasty and easy dinner. I used taco seasoning instead of messing with all the spices. I also used Rotel tomatoes for an extra zip. Finally I took the suggestion and used Jiffy cornbead mix. To top it off, I added a dallop of sour cream. Yummy!

My family really liked this recipe I used whole kernel and thick and chunky salsa, I used Jiffy cornbread mix and put it on top only, I also put in 2 packages of taco seasoning, I will use this recipe again!

It would have been much better if the cornbread was on the top or bottom, but not mixed in

This turned out really bland and the texture was mushy. It was not something we enjoyed, and I won't make it again.

This turned out very nice! and not dry at all. Very moist inside, crusty on top, did not stick to the dish at all and satisfied everybody's taste. A bit bland yes, and that might be partly because of the canned olives I used, which had no taste. I suspect fresh olives will improve this pie. As a word of caution, some people may get stomach pains if the cornmeal has not been cooked long enough, so if you are sensitive cook it longer on the stovetop, even though it may get a bit dry.

I did not care for this recipe.

Yum! This is delicious. Only changes I made were to use ground turkey and fresh chopped tomatoes instead of canned. Maybe that's why it isnt mushy.

I did not make any changes to the recipe. It didn't come out the way I expected. The cornmeal is just mixed throughout the dish and makes it sort of gritty. I doubt if I will make this recipe again.

i added pinto beans, kidney beans, chopped jalapenos...various seasonings such as garlic powder, cumin, chili powder....used a corn muffin mix for the topping.......delicious! good basic recipe and thank you!

My family really loved this dish. I will be making it more often. The only thing I did different was add half a package of taco seasoning when cooking.

for some added kick, I substituted the stewed tomatoes with FRESH SALSA! Another way is with the stewed tomatoes with Mexican spices. Very good, and with the Fresh Salsa, you can control how spicy you want it.

This was bland and gritty. Put an end to the grit, use Bisquick or Martha White's Mexican corn bread. Don't stir it in the meat mixture! Pour half on bottom of baking dish and the other half on top of meat mixture. Add some flavor: try a taco seasoning packet.

A satisfying meal all enjoy. I have made this several times and have substitute salsa for stewed tomatoes. I like it better that way. I also have forgotten cheese and it's just as yummy. Serve with sour cream.

This recipe is interesting but not particularly tasty. Per the advice of other reviewers, I chose to layer the cornmeal batter on top of the dish rather than incorporate it with everything else. However, the top never got crunchy or browned - it was quite soft and unsatisfying; perhaps cooking for an additional 20 mins or so would have helped. Per another user's advice, I added sage, cayenne, cumin, tomato paste, and kidney beans - it was decent, not earth-shattering. I probably would not make this again.

This recipe has everything a man wants !!!

I like It! I made it in the past with a crust and broke the crust into the filing. This skips that step. I did add salt and pepper, and used diced tomatoes with chilis.

This was only okay the first time. I couldn't stomach the leftovers and threw the rest out.

I tried it because I had the ingredients handy,. Not impressed. The cornmeal came out rock-hard, the juice bubbled out all over the oven, and there just wasn't any flavor to it other than the lingering memories of the can the tomatoes came in. I'll go back to the recipe in my mom's 1960's-era cookbook.

I didn't add the mik, masa, and egg. I made the masa separatly and spread on top, or you can dollop it. I spread the cheese on the top of the hot mix before the masa. I think I would use more spices and regular corn, not the creamed corn. Also I think it needs to be clear to drain the tomatoes, olives, and corn before adding.

Too soupy. Not a tamale pie to me - next time maybe I'll try Tamale Pie II. It does help to add the seasonings that another reviewer suggested - but I would try another recipe.

Not really what I think of when I hear tamale pie, but it has potential. I'm going to experiment with it more

I made some of the changes suggested by other reviewers and my family loved it

This is great! Since my kids are vegetarian, I cook up spiced ground turkey separately and substitute sautéed onion, green pepper, garlic, and some black beans as a substitute for the meat.

It was mushy and gritty.

I added a can of rinsed kidney beans and diced green chilies. Also I used 1 package of taco seasoning to my meat. I used 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix for the topping.

Nice flavor. Added cheddar cheese last few minutes of baking.

I used this recipe, adding 1 t. taco seasoning. Mixing the cornmeal mixture into the meat was new for me; it was quicker and easier! I liked this recipe and will make it again.

Not to be mean, but this was not at all good. I followed the directions as listed and it was nearly inedible. What’s the point of a recipe if you have to “tweak” it in order to contain any favorable flavor or texture? my advice- negative on the creamed corn. It’s far too sweet and gives the dish a soggy bread pudding texture.

I made this for my New spouse and found it very dull without the CHILLI POWDER OR ANY OTHER SEASONING! Maybe she just forgot to add seasoning??? I added Chilli Powder and lots of it and Cumin and Tumeric. Also WHOLE olives NEVER cut them up as that is what makes it good or just half them. Mary