Jiffy Tamale Pie With Ground Beef | Easy Dinner Recipes
Jiffy Tamale Pie is a delicious Texas tamale casserole filled with layers of Jiffy cornbread and cheesy taco spiced ground beef using ingredients you probably always have. It’s simple to make, feeds a bunch of people and it’s full of tamale inspired flavor. And it’s even better when it’s smothered with our homemade queso sauce!
This is such an easy recipe and you’ll get all the amazing tastes of homemade tamales for those times when you may not have the time or extra hands to make a batch of tamales. You’ll love the hearty layers of cheesy cornbread, cheesy tamale beef filling and it’s delicious topped with our homemade creamy and spicy queso!
Jiffy Tamale Pie With Ground Beef
Jiffy Tamale Pie is a delicious Texas tamale casserole filled with layers of Jiffy cornbread and cheesy taco spiced ground beef using ingredients you probably always have. It’s simple to make, feeds a bunch of people and it’s full of tamale inspired flavor. And it’s even better when it’s smothered with our homemade queso sauce!
Ingredients
Jiffy Tamale Pie Ground Beef Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon beef base concentrate
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Cornbread
- 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 can cream corn
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese,shredded
Homemade Queso
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz American cheese, cubed (I'm using Velvetta)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Instructions
Jiffy Tamale Pie Ground Beef Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- To tenderize the ground beef, mix a slurry of 1/2 tsp baking soda with 1 tablespoon water, and sprinkle over ground beef and stir to combine. Then mix up another batch of the slurry (1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tbsp water), and stir it in. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef, and stir to break it into small pieces. Cook until it’s soft, then add the spices: 1 teaspoon Better Than Beef bouillon, 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and ½ tsp cumin.
- Mix this all together and continue to cook the ground beef a few more minutes until it’s done. Add salt to taste, I’m adding ½ tsp. Next, make a cornstarch slurry using ½ teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Add a ½ cup water to the ground beef and heat to a simmer. Then add in the cornstarch slurry, stirring and cooking until the mixture thickens.
- Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and stir into the ground beef mixture to melt, and remove from heat.
Cornbread Layer Directions
- Next to make the cornbread. We’ll mix up the Jiffy corn muffin mix; you can also use your favorite homemade cornbread recipe for this. Beat one egg, add one box of jiffy corn muffin mix and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Add ½ cup of milk and 1 can of cream corn, then mix until well blended. Add in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir. Add ¼ cup flour and stir to blend.
Assembling The Jiffy Pie
- Grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with butter, then spread a layer of cornbread mix on the bottom. Layer on the ground beef mixture. Then pour on the remaining cornbread mix, trying to distribute it evenly across the top. You could also add on some extra cheese on top before popping it into the oven. Bake in the 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until the top is set and golden brown. Then remove from the oven, and let it set for about 10 minutes.
Homemade Queso Directions
- Dice one half onion and one seeded jalapeno pepper. Saute with one tablespoon of oil over medium heat until softened. Make a cornstarch slurry, mixing one tablespoon cornstarch with about one tablespoon milk. Pour one cup of milk into the sautéed vegetables, and heat. Add the cornstarch slurry, and cook to thicken. Add about 8 oz of melting cheese, I’m using Velvetta cut into cubes to help it melt faster. Cook over medium heat, stirring to melt. Salt to taste, I’m adding ½ teaspoon, plus ½ teaspoon cumin. Stir to blend and hold over low heat until ready to serve.