Tamale Pie

Tamale pie is a casserole or savory pie with the ingredients of a tamale rearranged for easy assembly, baking, and eating. Into a cornmeal “crust” goes meat or a meat stew, cheese, some chile powder and/or other Mexican seasonings, and possibly tomatoes, beans, or salsa. And there may be a top crust. Because of the ingredients and flavor, tamale pie is thought of in the United States as “Mexican food,” even though it has never been popular among Mexican Americans, who value the collective labor and festival abundance of traditional Mexican tamales.