Description
Crock-Pot Southwest tamale pie is a hearty and comforting one-pot meal featuring seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, and tomatoes, topped with a tender cornbread layer and melted cheese. This Southwestern-inspired dish is perfect for easy family dinners and slow cooker meal prep.
Ingredients
Beef Mixture
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn, frozen or canned
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Cornbread Topping
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Brown the beef and onion: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion until the beef is fully browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease to reduce fat content.
- Add garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Combine ingredients in crockpot: Transfer the beef and onion mixture to the crockpot. Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with green chiles, enchilada sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine all flavors.
- Prepare cornbread batter: In a separate bowl, whisk together cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Then add the egg, milk, and melted butter, stirring until just combined to form a smooth batter.
- Add cornbread topping: Spoon the cornbread batter evenly over the beef mixture in the crockpot, spreading it out to create an even layer.
- Cook in crockpot: Cover and cook on LOW heat for 4 to 5 hours, or until the cornbread topping is fully set and cooked through.
- Add cheese: In the final 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese blend over the top of the cornbread layer. Cover again until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Rest and serve: Once cooking is complete, let the tamale pie rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and to set the topping.
Notes
- Add diced jalapeños to the beef mixture for extra heat and flavor.
- Serve this tamale pie with sour cream, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, or sliced green onions for added freshness.
- For a leaner option, substitute ground turkey in place of ground beef.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the slow cooker model and temperature consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Casserole
- Method: Slow Cooking, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southwestern, Mexican-Inspired
