December 28, 2009
Tamale Casserole
Crusty corn meal topping with plenty of flavor and texture is baked together for this comforting Americana Classic.
Love tamales: Hate making them
Whenever something takes a long time to prepare I tend to avoid making it. Besides the lack of time and not storing corn husks in the pantry, it’s just laziness. But I love the idea of tamales—stuffed and steamed cornmeal dough. Every culture has a version of this kind of food, something to extend what little you have and fill the tummy: Chinese pork buns (cha siu baau) and Japanese rice balls (onigiri), to name a couple.
Here’s a way to get that classic yumminess with minimal effort. This is a skew on a version I got from somewhere many years ago but with my own twists. You do the same, add and embellish for your taste and family.
What you’ll need
| 1 lb | coarsely ground | Chicken Meat |
| 1/4 tsp | powder | Cumin |
| 1/4 tsp | powder | Chili |
| 1/2 tsp | Salt | |
| 1/2 tsp | freshly ground | Pepper |
| 1 med | diced | Yellow Onion |
| 1 | diced | Red Bell Pepper |
| 1 | diced | Green Bell Pepper |
| 1 C | sliced | Black Olives |
| 1/2 C | your favorite | Salsa |
| 2 C | grated | Cheddar Cheese |
| TOPPING | ||
| 1 C | low fat | Milk |
| 1 C | coarsely ground | Corn Meal |
| 1 C | creamed | Corn |
| 2 | whole | Eggs |
| 2 T | vegetable | Oil |
| QUACAMOLE | ||
| 1 ripe | mashed | Avocado |
| 1 | juice of | Lime |
| handful | chopped | Cilantro |
| 1/4 tsp | Salt | |
| 1/2 tsp | freshly ground | Pepper |
How to make it
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a medium sauté pan with a teaspoon of oil, sauté bell peppers and onions for 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Add the ground chicken and cook thoroughly by breaking apart the meat and mixing constantly. Season with cumin, chili powder, more salt and pepper. When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, pour the entire mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan, distribute evenly. Distribute olives, salsa, and cheese over entire chicken mixture.
Thoroughly mix together in bowl, milk, cornmeal, creamed corn, eggs, and oil. Gently pour corn meal mixture evenly over entire contents of the baking pan.
Bake for 45 minutes. If not bubbly and crusty brown on the edges, bake an additional 5 minutes or until it is. Remove from oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Serve with guacamole and garnish with sour cream and fresh diced tomatoes.
Yields 6 servings
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