Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Using your own blended spices instead of a pre-packaged chili powder gives better depth of flavor.
  • Ingredients are added in sequence to build up layers of complex flavor.
  • Browning the butter for the cornbread crust gives it a rich, nutty aroma.

I've been on a tamale pie kick ever since updating my mom's classic recipe a couple months ago by adding a brown butter cornbread crust. Essentially a beef chili baked underneath a sweet cornbread crust, it's one of the all-in-one comfort classics that never fails to bring big smiles and full bellies in its wake. This 100% vegetarian version is no different.

When I last took a look at them, I updated the easy ground-beef-and-cornbread-from-a-mix version into a no-holds-barredultimate versionmade with braised skirt steak and abrown butter cornbread crust. (Even a classicquick and easy versionbenefits from that crust!)

Then while I was eatingstrictly vegan, I attempted to make a fully vegan version of the tamale pie a number of times. Getting the filling right was easy. I simply adapted the quick ground beef version, adding some charred corn, poblano peppers, and a few types of beans to the basic recipe. Along with some carefully balanced spices (ancho chile, coriander, cumin, and oregano), and some other aromatics (onions, peppers, chiles, garlic), and of course those requisite green olives, I had a chili worth eating on its own by the spoonful in no time.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (1)

It was getting the crust right that proved difficult. No matter what I tried I couldn't come up with a vegan cornbread recipe that I was truly happy with. All of them suffered textural issues due to the lack of eggs. No amount of ground flax seed, chia seed, or other egg substitutes provided the light-yet-robust texture I was after.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (2)

It's normally not like me to throw in the towel, and I may well revisit vegan cornbread in the future, but seeing as in my civilian life I'm an egg-and-cheese-eating vegetarian, I figured a fully vegetarian version of the dish would be good enough for my needs (and hopefully many of yours).

First off, that meant adding a handful of shredded cheddar cheese to the chili base. I just love adding small amounts of cheese to stews and brothy dishes to thicken them up and give them a salty-savory flavor boost (nowhere more so than in thiscreamy white chicken chili!)

It also meant I could go back to using that brown butter cornbread crust I love so much. This time, I decided to jack up the flavors a bit by adding some minced red jalapeño and scallions directly to the cornbread base. That combination of spicy savory flavors with the sweet base is simply awesome.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (3)

After piling the chili into my cast iron skillet and topping it with the cornbread batter (the easiest way is to add it in small dollops with a spoon, then spread them out until they touch each other), I popped the whole thing in the oven until it was browned and crisp with bubbly-hot chili underneath.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (4)

I really love the way cast iron looks as a serving vessel, but even better, I love the way it keeps things piping hot all through the meal. This is important, because this is the kind of stuff you go back to for seconds or thirds.

March 2015

Recipe Details

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe

Active40 mins

Total60 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels from 1 to 2 ears of corn

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 poblano pepper, diced

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 serrano pepper, minced

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin(preferably from whole seeds)

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander(preferably from whole seeds)

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 3 tablespoons anchochile powder

  • 1 cup pitted green olives, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely crushed with your hand

  • 1 (15-ounce)can black beans drained and rinsed

  • 1 (15-ounce)can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  • 4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)

  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cupfresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, minced

For the Brown Butter Cornbread Crust:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 cup (about 5 ounces) fine yellow cornmeal

  • 1 cup (about 5 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 4 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 eggs

  • 6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) sour cream

  • 4 ounces (about 1/4 cup) cultured buttermilk

  • 1/2 cupthinly sliced scallions

  • 1 red jalapeño pepper, finely minced

  • Sour cream, for serving

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Heat oil in a large Dutch oven, or saucepan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is well charred in spots, about 4 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and poblano pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes.

    Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (5)

  2. Add garlic, Serrano pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano, and chile powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add olives, soy sauce, tomatoes, black beans, and kidney beans. Bring to a simmer and adjust heat to maintain. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Stir in grated cheese, scallions, and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

  3. For the Brown Butter Cornbread Crust: Heat butter in a 12-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat until melted. Continue to cook, swirling pan gently until butter is nutty-smelling and solids are a toasty brown. Transfer to a heatproof cup or bowl and let rest until slightly cooler, about 5 minutes.

  4. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk in a second bowl and whisk until hom*ogenous. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in reserved browned butter. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until hom*ogenous. Fold in scallions and jalapeño pepper.

    Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (6)

  5. Transfer bean mixture to a large cast iron skillet. Using a large spoon, place small dollops of the cornbread batter mixture on top of the bean filling, then use the back of the spoon to spread it into an even layer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until pale golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cornbread comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

  6. Let cool 15 minutes, then serve with sour cream.

    Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (7)

Special Equipment

Large cast iron skillet

Read More

  • Quick and Easy Skillet Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust
  • The Best Tamale Pie With Braised Skirt Steak, Charred Corn, and Brown Butter Cornbread Crust
  • Mexican Tamale Pie (Tamal de Cazuela) With Black Bean Filling
Quick and Easy Vegetarian Tamale Pie With Brown Butter Cornbread Crust Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is tamale pie made of? ›

Tamale pie is prepared with a cornmeal crust and typical tamale fillings arranged in several layers. Beef is traditionally used, but it can also be prepared using other meats such as chicken and turkey meat, and can also be prepared as a meatless dish.

What is tamale dough made of? ›

Cornmeal is coarsely ground hominy often used as a breading, in cornbread, and more. Masa harina is made from hominy that is treated with a lye solution and ground very fine, more like flour. It is used to make tortillas, tamale dough, and the soup dumplings chochoyotes.

What is tamale sauce made of? ›

Traditional Tamale Sauce is made from red, dried chilies, garlic, and cumin. It begins by roasting peppers briefly in the oven, followed by a soak in water. Then, the chilies and water are blended into together with spices.

What is better for pie crust butter or shortening? ›

Jenna Huntsberger, a pastry chef and founder of Whisked Bakery in Maryland, said many pastry chefs prefer shortening because it is more stable over a wider range of temperatures than butter. That makes it easier to work with because “when you're working shortening into the flour, it won't melt as easily,” she said.

Why do you put milk instead of water in a pie crust? ›

Some bakers use milk or buttermilk in their pie crust. Thanks to their milk solids, both will help crust brown and add a bit of tenderness. But the classic liquid in pie crust is water — ice water, to be precise.

What is the secret to a good pie crust? ›

The number one tip most pie dough recipes will emphasize is using cold butter, cold water, cold hands—really cold everything. The colder the butter (or shortening) stays in the dough, the more it can stay self-contained until it hits the oven, creating bigger pockets of air.

What is a tamale made of? ›

Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made with a corn based dough mixture that is filled with various meats or beans and cheese. Tamales are wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, but they are removed from the husks before eating. Try them served with pico de gallo on top and a side of guacamole and rice.

What are dessert tamales made of? ›

Sweet tamales are a Mexican dessert made from a sweet masa corn dough and filled with a variety of fruit, nut and sugary fillings. Common fillings include raisins, pineapples, fruit preserves, cajeta and dulce de leche.

What are tamale cakes made of? ›

For the TAMALE CAKES coarsely puree 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth. Add masa and flour and blend well.

What does tamale dough taste like? ›

Using fresh, nixtamalized corn flour makes a difference.

Not only is the masa more flavorful — it tastes like corn! — it's also moist, and you don't have to drown your flour in chicken stock or more lard to make up for the difference.

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