Tamale Meatloaf

A tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of a corn-based dough (masa) that is filled with various ingredients, wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf, and steamed. The filling can include meats, cheeses, or other ingredients, and the wrapping is discarded before eating. I love tamales. They are a traditional dish usually served around the holidays or for special occasions, mainly because they are labor intensive and take a lot of time and effort to prepare. You can fill them with anything you like from sweet to savory.

If you like tamales but you don’t have the time to make them, a good alternative is either a tamale pie or a tamale meatloaf. I am getting into my Texas and Tex-Mex frame of mind since we are heading out to Texas for Thanksgiving with some of my cousins. Ground beef was in our weekly meat rotation, so I made a tamale meatloaf. It had all the goodness of a tamale without the hassle. It was all baked underneath the cornbread topping. 🙂

Tamale Meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

1- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 egg

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup salsa

2 TBSP chili powder

salt & pepper to taste

4-5 tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced fine

1 Anaheim pepper, diced

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for topping

1-2 tsp dried oregano

1 8.5 oz package corn muffin mix

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Saute the onions, peppers and garlic for about 3 minutes or until softened and the onions are translucent.

Combine all the ingredients together, except for the corn muffin mix and mix together thoroughly. Put it all in the prepared loaf pan and pat down firmly. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven after it has cooked and drain off the excess grease. Prepare the muffin mix according to the package directions and spread on top of the meat mixture.

Bake again for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the cornbread is cooked and golden brown. Immediately top with the shredded cheese, salsa and a little more fresh cilantro and serve next to your favorite Mexican side dishes. Esta mui rico!

The cornbread muffin mix I got was very sweet, which I think took away from the dish itself. I don’t like my cornbread sweet. You can easily make your own cornbread too, and I should have, but I ran out of time and “cheated”. Next time, I will make my own cornbread. But it is nice to know you can use a mix in a pinch. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.