Why the Recipe Works
My friend Chungah from the incredible recipe blog Damn Delicious wrote this amazing cookbook called ‘Damn Delicious Meal Prep: 115 Easy Recipes for Low-Calorie, High-Energy Living.’ It’s filled with tons of low-cal make-ahead meal ideas that serve 2-4 people, which is perfect for us. I settled on making her tamale pie first because I had an intense craving for comforting cornbread. This incredible ground beef skillet meal makes 4 servings, which is perfect for dinner for two and lunch leftovers the next day! It gets even better as it sits, so you will be looking forward to lunch tomorrow! Plus, each serving is only a little over 400 calories since it’s packed with vegetables and lean protein! One of the reasons I love Chungah’s recipe for tamale pie is because the topping is made with real cornmeal, instead of a store-bought mix. I always have plenty of cornmeal in my pantry, because we use it to keep homemade pizza from sticking to the pizza pan, and for cornmeal waffles and blueberry cobbler, of course!
Tamale Pie Ingredients
Chungah calls for ground turkey in her skillet tamale pie, but I used ground beef because I always have some in the freezer. Her tamale pie is full of fresh vegetables, including my favorite pepper: poblanos! The corn and tomatoes keep it super kid-friendly, too.
For the cornbread topping
How to Make Tamale Pie
Make Ahead and Freeze Tips:
You can make this recipe ahead by cooking everything except the cornbread crust, and then freezing it. Chungah recommends freezing it in individual ramekins for portioning out at a later date. I used a small 10-inch skillet to make this a dinner for two. If you cook for two as I do, buttermilk freezes very well in ice cube trays! Shake it before pouring it into the trays. Once it melts, it might be a little separated, but just whisk it together. Make your own buttermilk by combining ½ teaspoon of vinegar with ½ cup of milk and letting it rest for 5 minutes. Or, substitute regular milk! Not into meat? This Tamale Pie is so hearty that a can of kidney beans would stand in great for the ground meat! I would saute the onion and poblano with the spices on their own to soften before stirring in the kidney beans with the rest of the vegetables.
How to Store
Refrigerate - If you have any leftovers, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Freeze - If you’re making this as a freezer meal, stop after you combine everything in the skillet and freeze this part; make the cornbread topping the day of serving.
More Easy Skillet Meals
Chicken Cacciatore Lemon Chicken Piccata Skillet Lasagna Cowboy Steak recipe
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I know you will love this skillet dinner and Chungah’s new cookbook!
*I use Mild Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles.
10" Staub Skillet Easy-Release Silicone Ice Cube Tray Damn Delicious Meal Prep: 115 Easy Recipes for Low-Calorie, High-Energy Living
