Coronavirus quarantine has me making ALL THE COMFORT FOODS. Are you with me? I mean, the days are longer and I have a bit more time for cooking without having to haul the kids to and from school, sports, ect. This is the perfect family meal. The best part is that you can make this tamale pie in 1 skillet so there’s less mess. Who likes cleaning dishes anyway?

I loaded it in extra veggies for a boost of vitamins and minerals, grass fed and finished beef for protein and B vitamins and our favorite gluten free cornbread mix for fun.

I enjoyed my slice of tamale pie drizzled with honey, but the kids liked theirs with shredded cheese and sour cream. So delicious. And just as good warmed up the next day.

gluten free tamale pie — *Can’t wait to dig into a big slice of this 1 skillet dinner*

Grass Fed Beef vs Conventional

It’s important to understand why grass fed beef is a better choice. Not only is it a better life for the animal, it is a higher quality product for us and more environmentally sustainable. Read a bit more about the advantages of grass fed beef on my blog post here.

Vegetarian / Plant Based / Vegan Option

If you aren’t into meat, you could substitute some black or pinto beans in this recipe and make a thick chili. It will be just as delicious loaded with cornbread on top. In order to make it vegan, you would need to use a vegan cornbread mix or substitute flax meal for eggs in the cornbread recipe. Definitely doable.

Now for the recipe you’ve been waiting for…

Gluten Free Tamale Pie

A simple 1 skillet recipe that is loaded in veggies but feels like pure comfort food.

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Total Time 1 hr

Course Main Course

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Tamale Center

1 lb grass fed and finished ground beef Vegan option: Sub 1 can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
2 red or green bell peppers, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 can diced tomatoes I used the "chipotle fire roasted" kind
1 small bag frozen organic sweet corn
1 tsp salt more or less to taste
1 tsp garlic powder more or less to taste
1/2 tsp cumin more or less to taste
1 tsp ancho chile powder more or less to taste

Cornbread Topping

1 box gluten free cornbread mix I used Krusteax brand
1 Egg follow package directions
1/3 cup Avocado oil follow package directions
1/2 cup water follow package directions

Optional Toppings

fresh cilantro, chopped
shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream
honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
In a large cast iron skillet (or other oven proof skillet), cook ground beef over medium high heat until no pink remains (If using beans, skip this step.)
Add diced onion, peppers and zucchini and saute, stirring frequently, until onion is opaque throughout and peppers have softened. (If using canned beans, add them after this point.)
Add the canned diced tomatoes, frozen corn and seasonings and stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes or until seasonings well blended. Taste and adjust as needed.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl follow cornbread mix instructions. For mine, I added water, avocado oil and 1 egg (can sub a flax egg if vegan.)
Spread the cornbread mix evenly with a spatula over the tamale skillet. Place in the oven and bake 30 minutes or until your cornbread is golden brown and cooked through.
Slice into 8 "pie" pieces. Serve with optional toppings: Chopped cilantro, honey, sour cream and/or cheese.