Chicken tamale pie from the church-supper canon
A Jiffy-box cornbread drowned in enchilada sauce and piled with chicken. Zero shame, full flavor.
At a Glance
Story
Tamale pie is not Mexican. It is early-1900s American casserole cooking wearing a borrowed name, born of church suppers and cafeteria lines, a cornmeal lid over a chilied filling. Knowing its real passport is what lets you enjoy it properly, as the gloriously unauthentic weeknight-in-a-dish it has always been.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup whole milkthe original says fat-free, which is banned in this kitchen
- 1 eggbeaten (the original uses egg substitute; use a real one)
- 1 ½ tbsp taco seasoningdivided
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- 1 × 14¾ oz can cream-style corn
- 1 × 8.5 oz box corn muffin mixthe Jiffy sort
- 1 × 4 oz can chopped green chilesdrained
- 1 × 10 oz can red enchilada saucea proper Mexican brand
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
- ¾ cup shredded white cheeseMonterey Jack or whatever melts in your fridge
- cilantro and crumbled Cotijato finish
Method
A casserole with a party trick. The cornbread bakes first, gets stabbed all over and then drinks an entire can of enchilada sauce, so every slice comes out crimson-streaked and pudding-soft in the middle.
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir together the milk, egg, ½ tablespoon of the taco seasoning, the cayenne, cream-style corn, muffin mix and green chiles, just until moist. Pour into a greased pie plate and bake 20 to 30 minutes, until barely set and golden.
- While it bakes, toss the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning.
- Pierce the whole surface liberally with a fork, then pour the enchilada sauce over. This is poke-cake logic, savory edition, the holes channel sauce down through the crumb instead of letting it sit on top. Pile on the chicken, scatter the cheese and bake 15 minutes more, until melted and bubbling at the edges.
- Rest 5 minutes, cut into 8 wedges and finish each with cilantro and a crumble of Cotija. It reheats beautifully the next day, which is more than most guests can say.
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