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Cheesy Chicken Tamale Pie
5 from 88 votes

Cheesy Chicken Tamale Pie

Cheesy Chicken Tamale Pie layers a spicy enchilada-style sauce with a cheesy cornbread base topped by shredded chicken mixed with corn, green chiles, and white cheddar. The dish bakes to a golden cornbread crust infused with sharp cheddar, while the enchilada sauce brings a rich, mildly smoky, and slightly spicy flavor with chili and cumin spices, along with a creamy texture from the roux base.

Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

enchilada sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock low-sodium
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
cornbread base
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal finely ground
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup corn I used the roasted corn from Trader Joe's!, cooked
  • 4 ounces cheddar cheese freshly grated, sharp
chicken topping
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 1/3 cup corn cooked
  • 1 green chile 4-ounce can, diced
  • 6 ounces White Cheddar Cheese freshly grated
  • green onions sliced, for topping
  • cilantro fresh, for topping
  • lime wedges, for spritzing

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
enchilada sauce
  1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Whisk in the flour and cook until it is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 more minutes before using.
cornbread base
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk and egg. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Fold in the corn and the cheddar cheese.
  2. Pour the cornbread into a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cornbread is just set. Remove it and poke holds into the bread. Drizzle a 1/2 cup or so of the the enchilada sauce overtop of the cornbread.
chicken topping
  1. In a bowl, stir together the chicken, green chiles and the corn. Stir in the remaining enchilada sauce (or at least a cup or so of it) and 2 ounces of the cheese. Spoon it on top of the cornbread base. Cover with any extra enchilada sauce and the remaining cheddar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
  2. Remove from the over and cover with the green onions and cilantro.