Tamale pie facts for kids
Tamale pie is a tasty dish from the cuisine of the Southwestern United States. It's like a casserole or a pie. This dish has a crust made from cornmeal and is filled with ingredients often found in tamales. Many people think of it as a "comfort food" because it's warm and satisfying. Tamale pie was created in the United States in the early 1900s. It might have started in Texas, and the first known recipe was printed in 1911.
What is Tamale Pie?
Tamale pie is made with a crust of cornmeal and has layers of fillings, just like a regular tamale. Usually, it's made with beef. But you can also make it with other meats like chicken or turkey. Some versions even have no meat at all!
Even though it sounds a bit like Mexican food, tamale pie isn't very common in Mexican-American culture. In that culture, people usually prefer tamales that are wrapped individually. The book The Ultimate Casseroles Book calls tamale pie a "comfort-food classic." This book was published by Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
What's in Tamale Pie?
Lots of different ingredients can go into a tamale pie. Here are some common ones:
- Meats: Beef (especially ground beef), pork, chorizo, or chicken.
- Vegetables: Corn, creamed corn, beans, black olives, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
- Spices: Chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Other items: Salsa, butter, and cheese.
For the crust, you can use regular fine cornmeal. Or you can use masa harina, which is a special corn flour used for tortillas. Cheese can be put inside the pie or sprinkled on top. The pie is usually cooked by baking it in an oven.
How to Decorate Tamale Pie
After it's cooked, you can add some nice touches to your tamale pie. These are called garnishes. Some popular garnishes include:
- More cheese
- Sliced tomatoes
- Slices of avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- A drizzle of olive oil
History of Tamale Pie
Tamale pie was first made in the United States in the early 1900s. Around the 1910s, this dish was even taught in some high school home economics classes. These classes taught students how to cook and manage a home.
Many people think tamale pie might have started in Texas. A book from 1983, The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink by John F. Mariani, says the first recipe for tamale pie was printed in 1911. However, similar recipes were published even before that.
For example:
- In 1899, The Capitol Cook Book from Austin, Texas, had a recipe for a similar pot pie. This one had a wheat flour crust on top.
- In 1905, The Times Cook Book #2 from the Los Angeles Times included a recipe for a casserole. It had "cornmeal crusts above and below."
During World War I, another cookbook shared a tamale pie recipe. It suggested the dish could help save wheat, which was important during the war.
