Have a savory supper pie tonight! Pulled Pork Tamale Pie includes melted cheddar cheese under a tender layer of cornbread.
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Just a reminder to pie lovers or the the pie curious—not all pies need to be sweet! In fact, some of the best pies out there are savory, meaty, pastry pockets that are full of spice and flavor. My mini Chicken Pot Pies and Thanksgiving Hand Pies are just two examples.
And this recipe for Pulled Pork Tamale Pie. It has layers of tender cornbread studded with green chilies on the top and bottom. Sandwiched in between the cornbread is a layer of shredded pork that's chock-full of seasoning and flavor.
Why you'll love this recipe
Well, to begin with, you'll love all the flavor in this pork tamale casserole. Seasoned pork and cornbread make a delicious and filling supper.
The pork loin is seasoned, placed in a slow cooker for just over an hour, and then pulled into shreds. The cornbread batter comes together quickly too, and the assembled casserole bakes up in about 35 minutes.
If you have leftover pulled pork from a smoked shoulder or other dinner, you can use it up in this pork tamale casserole.
The dish with its Southwest flavors is very tasty as a family supper pie, or you can make it for a casual weekend lunch or dinner.
Make it with cornmeal from New England
Here's a way to give this Southwest-inspired meal a New Engalnd touch. Make the cornbread layers in the tamale pie using cornmeal from New England local farms and cornmeal producers.
Some use organically-grown grains, or grow varieties of corn that can be traced back to the earliest days of the colonies. Many still make cornmeal using old-fashioned grist mills and stone grinding methods. Here are just a few companies to check out
- Vermont: Nitty Gritty Grain Company, in Charlotte (pronounced "shar-LOTT")
- New Hampshire: Schoolhouse Farms in Somersworth
- Maine: Maine Grains in Skowhegan
- Massachusetts: Plimoth Grist Mill at Plimoth Patuxet Museum in Plymouth
- Connecticut: The Davis Farm in Pawcatuck
- Rhode Island: Kenyon's Grist Mill in West Kingston
🔪 How to make Pulled Pork Tamale Pie
Ingredients:
- Pork loin: Pick up a lean pork loin ; season it and cook in the slow cooker. It takes a fraction of the time to cook compared to tougher cuts of pork.
- Oil: I use a neutral-flavored oil to coat the meat, like canola or grapeseed oil.
- Spices: There's a whole bunch of spices in this savory pie, but many are probably already in your cupboard: chili powder, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, pepper, and salt.
- Cornmeal: Use yellow or white cornmeal to create the tender topping of this pie.
- Flour: Part of the cornbread topping, all purpose flour is fine to use here. My go-to flour is King Arthur Baking brand.
- Half-and-half: This is the liquid that brings the cornbread topping together and gives it a tender texture.
- Butter: Melted butter adds flavor to the cornbread and also contributes to the tender texture.
- Egg: Just one large egg helps bind the cornbread topping together.
- Green chilies: Mild, diced green chilies give the pie topping a delicious, Southwest flavor.
- Sugar: Add just a little granulated sugar to the cornbread topping for a touch of sweetness.
- Baking powder: This leavener helps the cornbread rise and lightens the texture.
- Cheddar cheese: Shredded cheese just makes this savory casserole even more irresistible. Shred your own cheddar if you can; the shreds melt more smoothly than pre-grated cheese.
Cook the pork loin in the slow cooker.
Cut the pork loin into a few pieces. Rub them with a spice blend and place them in a slow cooker to cook for about an hour.
Shred the pork
When the pork is cool enough to handle pull it into shreds.
Make the cornbread batter
Whisk together the ingredients for the cornbread, then spread half of the batter in the bottom of a baking dish.
Assemble the casserole
Spread the shredded pork over the cornbread batter, then sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the pork. Top this with the last of the cornbread batter.
Bake it
Bake the pie for about 35 minutes until the cornbread is lightly browned. Remove it from the oven, and serve slices of it while it's hot.
FAQs
Pulled pork tamale pie is hearty and filling, so keep the sides simple—like seasoned rice, refried or black beans, a green salad, or fresh guacamole with tortilla chips. For condiments, set out sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce.
Tips:
- You can also use leftover pulled pork in this recipe, instead of cooking the pork loin.
- The green chilies in the cornbread batter add only the tiniest bit of heat. If you'd like to spice this dish up even further feel free to add a teaspoon of chili powder to the spice rub for the pork loin.
This recipe is below. Need more savory supper pie ideas? Here you go!
💬 How do you like this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Pulled Pork Tamale Pie
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Ingredients
For the pork:
- 1½ pounds boneless pork loin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
For the cornbread:
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 4.35-ounce can green chiles
- 1¼ cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Remaining ingredients:
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- Salsa and sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Make the spice blend and cook the pork
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of the salt with the chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, cumin, paprika, and oil. Have a slow cooker ready, with the temperature set to high.
- Cut the pork loin into 2 or 3 pieces. Rub each piece of pork on all sides with the spice blend.
- Place the meat in a slow cooker with ¼ cup of water. Cover the slow cooker and cook the pork for about 1¼ to 1½ hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140° F.
Shred the pork
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker, reserving ½ cup of the liquid. Allow the meat to cool for about 10 minutes. Use your fingers or two forks to shred the pork, removing any bits of fat. Place the pork in a medium bowl and add to it the reserved cooking liquid. Toss the pork and liquid together.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
Make the cornbread batter
- In a medium bowl, combine the half-and-half, melted butter, egg, and chiles. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, only until just combined. (Do not over-mix.)
Assemble the pie and bake
- Pour half of the cornbread batter into an even layer in the prepared pan. Spread the shredded pork evenly over the batter, and then sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the top of the pork. Pour the remaining batter over the top, spreading it evenly over the top and to the sides.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until the top of the cornbread is lightly browned and a tester inserted into the bread comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove the pie from oven.
- Slice and serve it while the pie is hot, with salsa or sour cream if desired.
Notes
- You can also use leftover pulled pork in this recipe, instead of cooking the pork loin.
- The green chilies in the cornbread batter add only the tiniest bit of heat. If you'd like to spice this dish up even further feel free to add a teaspoon of chili powder to the spice rub for the pork loin.
Nutrition
Julia B. says
Delicious! We used leftover pork barbacoa and added black beans to the filling for a Tex Mex vibe. Will make again next time we have leftover sweet pork!
Nancy Mock says
Hi Julia! Ooh, barbacoa - I bet that was very tasty indeed! I love the idea of adding black beans, too. Thank you so much for giving my recipe a try, I'm really happy you liked it!
Anonymous says
Ready to go on the oven as we speak. Used left over pulled pork from a catering event. Will post N update after we eat it!
Nancy Mock says
That's a great idea to use your leftover pulled pork. I can't wait to hear what you think!
armchairsquid says
Oh my! Yes, I would eat that.
Nancy Mock says
🙂 I hope you will!
The Armchair Squid says
Looking forward to games soon!