What ingredients are in Tamale Pie?

Though this post is about tamale pie I would be remiss not to quickly mention the inspiration which is the tamale. The tamale is a traditional Mexican dish that dates back to the days of the Aztecs. It is a dough made of masa that is usually stuffed with sweet or savory fillings and then steamed or boiled in a corn husk.  If you want to know more about traditional tamales check out HERE, HERE, or HERE.

The tamale pie however is a casserole that omits the corn husks and instead layers the ingredients. The early tamale pie was a simple dish made with beef in a chili sauce that was sandwiched between two layers of corn meal mush. Though as this dish entered the mid-century with its more is better mentality, other meats could be used as well as other ingredients added such as corn, olives, green peppers, or cheese. Food writer Cecily Brownstone joked that as it travels around the country, variations happen “but when marshmallows are thrown in we feel it’s time to call a halt to improvisation”. Also in the mid-century, you start to see recipes topped with cornbread versus layering it between the cornmeal mush.

Who and where was Tamale Pie created? 

So I don’t know who, though I think we can guess that it was probably some creative homemaker, possibly from Texas, California, or even Mexico, trying to create a dish that hit all the flavor notes of the tamale. The earliest I could find a recipe for Tamale Pie was in a 1908 newspaper where the recipe won the creator second prize in a contest. Early versions of the recipe could also be called Tamale Loaf. This was definitely a dish that originated in the South West.

When was Tamale Pie popular?

Tamale pie was a recipe that has been used during times of budgeting and conserving. It seems like the recipe gained national attention when it was touted as a great way for meat conservation during World War One. Jean Anderson in her cookbook The American Century Cookbook points to a 1918 booklet called Conservation Recipes that had five versions of Tamale Pie. Another recipe appeared in the 1918 cookbook Everyday Foods in Wartime by Mary Swartz Rose.  

Again the meal was given props in the 1930s for being cheap which was a concern during the Great Depression. In 1930, a newspaper column remarked that “I think the tamale pie is perhaps the most popular dish or at least it is the one which I have more requests for than any other one.” Food columnist Dorothy Dean shared the same sentiment in her 1939 article as she was getting numerous requests for the recipe. A 1934 article calls it a cheap and easy way to make a complete one-dish meal. A 1939 article agreed when they called the dish inexpensive as well as “just the thing for a buffet supper as it is served right from the dish it is baked in.”  The 1940s brings World War II concerns on how to stretch the now rationed beef paired with the normal budget concerns. Tamale Pie was a recipe that fits that bill with it being called both economical and tasty.

Though it was not just during times of hardship that tamale pie was used. In the 1920s, this recipe was showcased in cooking demonstrations and often used as a less labor-intensive way to have the flavors of a tamale.  Two 1928 articles proclaimed the greatness of the Tamale Pie. One wrote that “Tamale pie, a typical California dish that continues to find favor wherever it is tried.” The other agreed  when they wrote, ” tamale Pie is an excellent selection and it is so satisfying that it needs but a salad of lettuce hearts and coffee to complete an excellent menu.”

Post War World II America agreed as it became a low-cost and flavorful way to feed the family and entertain as well. Even Hollywood actress Eve Arden who first tried the dish in Tijuana, Mexico called the tamale pie a simple yet great dish to make in a 1949 article. Mid-century food columnist Cissy Gregg considered the dish a hostess specialty. Another 1953 article agreed by saying “you can serve a crowd without any trouble at all and at a minimum of expense”. Cecily Brownstone, another food columnist, called it a thrifty main course as well as a buffet favorite and admits that by the mid-1950s that there were many variations of the filling. She must have personally liked the dish as I found five different Tamale Pie articles written by her. In the book Eating History (2009), it is mentioned that Tamale Pie reached “its high point in 1956 when a single cookbook published fifteen recipes for it”.

Why should I make Tamale Pie?

Tamale Pie is still a quick, cheap, and easy dish to make. It doesn’t surprise me that it endured for so long, especially in times of rationing. The filling can be easily customized to one’s taste and what happens to be in the pantry. Ground chicken or turkey in place of the beef or even mushrooms and black beans to make it vegetarian. Add some spicy with chipotle, jalapeno, and hot sauce. Even mix in some extra spices into the corn meal mush mixture. I will admit because I am a realistic son of a gun but not everyone will like the old-fashioned corn meal mush at the bottom but the dish can easily be converted to use cornbread as a topper instead.

How do you make Tamale Pie?

This recipe that follows is more of the mid-century version. If you want something closer to what would have been served in the 1920s or 1930s, then leave out the corn, black olives, and cheese. If you rather use cornbread instead of the cornmeal mush then just make the filling and place it in a casserole dish. Top it with your favorite cornbread recipe or prepared box mix and bake till the cornbread is cooked through.

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Ads and Pictures:

Tamale Pie in Pyrex. The Courier-Journal. January 27, 1957.

“Beat the Fall Chill with New Quick Tamale Pie”. The Springville Herald. November 1, 1956.

“Tamale Pie Lunch”. The Modesto Bee. December 7, 1961.

“This Afternoon at 2:00”. The Los Angeles Times. October 24, 1930.

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Braeger, Marion. “Mrs. Jennings Gets ‘Formula’ of New Dishes. Lansing State Journal. September 7, 1952.

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Brownstone, Cecily. “Texan Tamale Pie is Main Course Dish of Ground Beef and Cornmeal”. The Tuscaloosa News. November 17, 1955.

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