Definition

Noun: 1. A baked casserole dish: A dish consisting of a savory, typically spicy meat filling (often resembling the filling of a traditional Mexican tamale) topped with a layer of cornbread batter or cornmeal mush, which is then baked together.

Usage

• As a subject: "The tamale pie is ready to come out of the oven."
• As an object: "She prepared a delicious tamale pie for the potluck dinner."
• With modifiers: "We're having a spicy beef tamale pie." / "This is my grandmother's recipe for tamale pie."

Examples

• "For a comforting weeknight meal, I often make a simple tamale pie with ground turkey and black beans."
• "The restaurant's signature tamale pie features a topping made from freshly ground cornmeal."
• "He brought the tamale pie to the table, its golden crust steaming."

Advanced Usage

• The term is used to describe an American casserole dish that resembles the flavors and components of a traditional Mexican tamale but is assembled and cooked in a different, simplified manner (in a baking dish rather than being wrapped and steamed in corn husks).

Variants and Related Words

• Tamale (noun): A traditional Mexican dish of seasoned meat wrapped in cornmeal dough (), which is then wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.
• Casserole (noun): A general term for a dish cooked slowly in an oven, often with meat, vegetables, and a starchy binder or topping.

Synonyms

• Casserole (a broader, more general synonym)
• Baked dish (a very general synonym)

Notes on Meaning

• The key distinction in meaning lies in the comparison to an authentic tamale. A tamale pie is an American adaptation that captures the essential flavor profile—spiced meat and cornmeal—but presents it in the form of a layered, baked casserole. It is not the same as a traditional tamale.

Noun

1. a meat mixture covered with cornbread topping that resembles a Mexican dish