Casserole #1 - Fiesta Tamale Bake

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #1 - Fiesta Tamale Bake

    This recipe comes to us from 1988's Better Homes and Gardens - New Casserole Cook Book. The original recipe calls for canned tamales, which I know are maybe all that some people might be able to find. I however live in Texas, where fresh tamales are usually pretty easy to find. I decided to buy fresh. I liked the tamales and the meat sauce from the recipe. However, I liked them better separately than together. The meat sauce was really good; I decided to freeze the leftover sauce and will enjoy it with macaroni or rice.  I'm glad I made this recipe. The original recipe says four or five servings. While I didn't count how many servings, there was a lot of food. I am confident you could definitely serve at least six. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bulk pork sausage

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped (about 1 medium)

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

16 oz can tomatoes, chopped (or buy diced tomatoes); do not drain

6 oz tomato paste

1/4 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives (I didn't use these)

1 tbsp chili powder

15 oz canned pork or beef tamales (I used 6 fresh tamales)

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I used my favorite cheddar jack)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet cook sausage, hamburger, onion and green pepper until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender. You could cook these separately if you like and then combine them. Drain grease from skillet. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, olives (if using) and chili powder. Pour meat mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Arrange the canned/fresh tamales on top of the meat mixture. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes. 

Fiesta Tamale Bake