Cheesy Beef Taco Pie

The name negotiations began the second we told people. We called both sets of parents Monday evening and by Tuesday morning we had a full tribunal assembled in our kitchen by text message.

Maureen suggested Declan before Sean had finished the sentence. "Declan's strong," she said. "Classic. Declan Donovan." She said it twice, like she was already embroidering it on something. Sean Sr. wanted Patrick. Of course he did. Every Irish family in Southie carries an unspoken Patrick requirement in the ancestral contract, and Sean's father has been waiting patiently to collect. "Patrick Sean Donovan," he said at Sunday dinner, trying it out with visible satisfaction. "Now that's a name."

My mother offered Brendan. My father made a face that suggested mild suspicion about all the options, which I found deeply comforting.

Sean and I had talked about names during the pregnancy only hypothetically, the way you do when you're cooking and not actually committing to anything. I remembered saying I liked Liam once, maybe a year ago. Sean had said it was fine. Neither of us wrote it down.

I brought it back on Wednesday, just between us. "What about Liam?" Sean was eating mashed potatoes and kept chewing. "Liam Donovan," he said. Then: "Liam Sean Donovan." He chewed a little more. "I like it."

We haven't told the families yet. We're gathering our resolve. I made shepherd's pie Wednesday because it felt like a fortifying meal—the kind of food that prepares you for difficult conversations with in-laws about whether Patrick is negotiable. It is not. But Liam is not negotiable either. We'll see who blinks.

I didn’t have it in me to make a true shepherd’s pie from scratch that Wednesday — I had a tribunal to mentally prepare for — so I leaned on this cheesy beef taco pie instead, which delivers the same deep, settling satisfaction with considerably less peeling of potatoes. It’s the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with a smell that makes everyone feel like things are going to be fine, which is precisely what Sean and I needed while we quietly rehearsed how to say “Liam is not up for debate” without actually saying it out loud yet. Think of it as shepherd’s pie’s confident, slightly more chaotic cousin — fully appropriate for fortification purposes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef (85/15)
1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning, or 2 tbsp homemade blend
1/2 cup water
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 package (8.5 oz) cornbread mix (such as Jiffy)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 tbsp sour cream, plus more for serving
1/4 cup sliced green onions, for garnish
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray and set aside.
Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Season the filling. Add taco seasoning and water to the beef. Stir to combine and simmer for 2 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly. Fold in the black beans, drained diced tomatoes with chiles, and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Layer the base. Transfer the beef mixture into the prepared pie pan, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheddar and 3/4 cup of the Monterey Jack evenly over the top.
Mix the cornbread topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, milk, egg, and sour cream until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix.
Top and finish with cheese. Pour the cornbread batter evenly over the cheese layer, spreading gently to the edges. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup each of cheddar and Monterey Jack over the batter.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 22–26 minutes, until the cornbread topping is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve. Cut into wedges and garnish with sliced green onions and a dollop of sour cream. Serve warm, ideally while rehearsing difficult conversations under your breath.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cheesy Beef Taco Pie — The Fortifying Meal Before the Hard Conversations