How to make a cheesy Mexican meat pie with ground beef and bacon. Well loved casserole recipe that's easy to make and loaded with fantastic Tex-Mex flavor!
Flipping through my grandma's recipe box one day, I noticed a recipe card from a close family friend. It was titled Mexicali Meat Pie.
Realizing that I'd probably had this Mexican casserole at one church potluck or another, I remembered how yummy every dish at those church potlucks actually was. And I thought how fun it'd be to make this recipe for my family.
Not only is this Mexican pie fun to make; it's absolutely delicious and definitely one of my go to ideas for dinner… Especially these days because we usually have most, if not all of the ingredients, on hand.
You will need a single pie crust for this recipe. I do make this pie completely gluten-free, and I'll share how in the details below.
Topping it off with bacon really completes the ensemble. If you like olives, it's suggested to add those on top too… But I usually leave those off because I'm just not a fan of olives.
If you love good Mexican casserole recipes, you'll love Mexican tater tot casserole and Mexican corn casserole with bacon too.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?
If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the Mexican meat pie recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED:
- Single pie crust
- Bacon
- Ground beef – Or you can use ground turkey.
- Frozen corn
- Green bell pepper
- Yellow onion
- Cornmeal – I use gluten-free cornmeal from Aldi.
- Oregano
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tomato sauce
- Bacon
- Egg
- Milk
- Dry mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Stuffed olives (optional)
Remember, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.
KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:
Cast Iron Skillet – for browning the ground beef and warming everything together.
Small Bowl – for mixing up the topping.
Cutting Board and Knife
HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN MEAT PIE
Before you get started cooking, you'll need to prep all of your fresh ingredients. Do things like chopping the pepper, chopping the onion, and then cooking and crumbling the bacon to set aside.
You'll also need a pie crust. I prefer to use this pie crust recipe, but instead of rolling it out, I set it aside 'til I'm ready.
MAKE THE BEEF MIXTURE…
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, and drain the meat when browned.
- Stir the corn, green pepper, onion, cornmeal, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce into the ground beef.
- Prep the pie crust by pressing it into a greased casserole dish, preferably at least a 9″x13″ baking dish.
- Place the meat mixture into that pastry lined dish, and bake at 425° F for about 25 to 30 minutes.
THEN ADD THE TOPPING…
- Combine the egg, milk, salt, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
- Then mix the shredded cheese into the egg mixture.
- Spread the cheesy mixture all over the top of the pie.
- Finally, top with the bacon crumbles (and stuffed olives, if preferred), and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese melts completely.
Let the casserole stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Then serve with a dollop of sour cream and green onions or cilantro if you'd like.
Writing up this recipe is making my mouth water just thinking about it. Yum!
HOW TO MAKE IT A GLUTEN-FREE CASSEROLE
There are a few things you need to think about or change if you want this casserole to be gluten-free.
- Crust – I use the same crust recipe as mentioned above but use a good gluten-free flour instead.
- Spices and seasonings – Be sure all of your spices and seasonings are truly gluten-free. Gluten likes to hide out in spices, believe you me. I have started stocking my pantry, little by little, with Badia seasonings and spices because they are gluten-free seasonings that are oh so delicious.
- Cornmeal – Yup, make sure it's really gluten-free and free from flour. You can grind your own cornmeal, or just buy it. I love Aldi's liveGfree cornbread mix.
- Bacon – Make sure there are no preservatives or additives with gluten. Usually, we're all good, but again… Just be safe.
- Worcestershire sauce – Check the label. I tend to stick with Lea & Perrins.
- Stuffed olives – If you decide to use them, check labels.
Just check all your labels on every single ingredient, but know that this CAN be made gluten-free, and man is it delicious.
CAN I FREEZE AND RE-HEAT MEXICAN PIE?
Yes, you can. Bake and allow it to cool before freezing. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and foil before freezing.
When it's time to re-heat the casserole, cover it with foil and set the oven to a moderate temperature, around 325° F or 350° F.
Depending if your casserole is thawed or frozen, it'll need to heat for around 30 minutes to 1 hour, 'til it's warmed through completely.
MORE EASY TEX-MEX RECIPES:
- Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce
- Easy Beef Tacos
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Creamy Crab Enchiladas
- Taco Stuffed Peppers
- Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos
GET THE PRINTABLE RECIPE
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Cheesy Mexican Meat Pie
Ingredients
- 1 single pie crust
Meat Filling:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/4 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
Cheesy Topping:
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 4 stuffed olives optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425° F, and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Press the pie crust into the greased casserole dish, pressing it onto the sides and bottom of the dish.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, and drain the meat when browned.
- Stir the corn, green pepper, onion, cornmeal, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce into the ground beef.
- Spread the meat mixture in the pastry lined baking dish.
- Bake at 425° F for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the egg, milk, salt, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a small mixing bowl.
- Then mix the shredded cheese into the egg mixture.
- Spread the cheesy mixture all over the top of the pie.
- Top with the bacon crumbles and stuffed olives, if desired.
- Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese melts completely.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, green onions, and/or cilantro, if desired.
Notes
- Crust – I use the same crust recipe as mentioned above but use a good gluten-free flour instead.
- Spices and seasonings – Be sure all of your spices and seasonings are truly gluten-free. Gluten likes to hide out in spices, believe you me. I have started stocking my pantry, little by little, with Badia seasonings and spices because they make gluten-free seasonings that are oh so delicious.
- Cornmeal – Yup, make sure it's really gluten-free. You can grind your own cornmeal, or just buy it. I love Aldi's liveGfree cornbread mix.
- Bacon – Make sure there are no additives with gluten. Usually, we're all good, but again… Just be safe.
- Worcestershire sauce – Check the label. I tend to stick with Lea & Perrins.
- Stuffed olives – If you decide to use them, check labels.
This has always been a favorite of mine! Delicious!