Make Hot Tamale Pies and Casseroles for Cinco de Mayo

By Eileen Goltz
Special to The Standard

Chicken Tamale Casserole

In honor of Cinco de Mayo (5^th of May), that wonderful Mexican holiday celebrating the Mexican army’s victory over French troops at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, I try to make tamales. Every Cinco de Mayo for the past five years I fail to make anything that even resembles tamales, or at least the kind I can get at  my favorite restaurant. Maybe it’s the wrappers I use or because the masa harina (the traditional flour used to make tortillas, tamales, and other traditional Mexican dishes) isn’t the right kind or I don’t have the right sauce or peppers or maybe it’s the recipe OR, and this is probably it, I have no idea what I’m doing and nobody to show me how to do it.

Whatever the reason is, this year I’m going over to the dark side (a/k/a  giving up) and making tamale pies and casseroles. A traditional tamale is a dish that is made up of a marsa harina dough, meat or cheese and vegetables steamed or boiled in a wrapper. Since keeping it kosher means no mixing of the milk and meat I find myself substituting the “fake” meat when I want to use cheese or sour cream or using real meat when I plan on eliminating the cheese and use the “fake” sour cream. Some recipes below mix meat and dairy, so if you’re kosher just substitute soy cheeses and sour cream with meat and/or tofu or other veggie “meat” if you’re making it dairy.

As with all good recipe improvisations it’s about taking the best of what’s original and adding creativity. You can use dough or a corn bread mix and fill it with meat or keep it vegetarian and/or pareve. You can add salsa or not as your taste buds desire.

The following recipes run the gamut from simple to OMG how many more ingredients are we going to be putting into this recipe? Have fun and a wonderful and delicious Cinco de Mayo.

Note: A tamale pie usually has a “crust” on the bottom and a casserole has one on top the terms are used interchangeably (some might say indiscriminately) in this column.

TAMALE CASSEROLE LIGHTENED UP (meat)

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided

1/3 cup non dairy milk substitute

1/4 cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix 

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

1 1/4 cup enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast, left over chicken works great

1/2 cup pareve sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup cheese, milk substitute, egg substitute, red pepper, cream corn, and muffin mix and chilies stirring just to combine. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Using a fork poke the top all over. Spoon the enchilada sauce over top and then spread it to cover. Place the shredded chicken over the top of the sauce and then top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starts to turn golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with the pareve sour cream. Serves 8

TAMALE CASSEROLE (meat or dairy depending on options used)

1 large onions, chopped

1 green peppers, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb lean ground beef, chicken or meat substitute

3 large tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup cornmeal

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Sliced avocado (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.  In a skillet sauté the onion, green pepper and garlic in the olive oil just until its crisp tender. Add the ground meat and cook until it’s no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Mix to combine and then simmer, covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Boil 3 cups of water. In a separate bowl combine the remaining cup of water and the corn meal and mix until all the lumps are gone. Add the salt and chili powder to the boiling water mix briefly and then, stirring constantly, add the water/ corn meal mixture to the boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.  Remove the mixture from heat, cover and let cool. Spoon half of the cornmeal mixture into the pan and spread it across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Fill with the meat mixture. Sprinkle the sliced black olives (and 1/2 the cheese if using) over the top of the meat mixture. Spread the remaining cornmeal mixture over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 the cheese (if using) over the top immediately after you take the pie out of the oven. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve with sour cream and avocados (if using). Serves 6 to 8.

Submitted by Rene Darsten Indianapolis, IN- source unknown (modified)

TURKEY AND BEAN TAMALE PIE (meat)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons cumin

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 chipotle chilies, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from can chipotle in adobo

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1 (8.5-ounce) package cornbread mix

1 egg

1/3 cup non dairy milk substitute

Preheat oven to 400. Grease an 8-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil and set it aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet. Cook the turkey, onions, green peppers, and garlic until the turkey is cooked through. Drain the liquid off and then add the cumin, beans, tomatoes, chilies and adobo sauce. Mix and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool slightly and add the eggs and cilantro. Spread the meat into the prepared baking dish (push it down).

In a bowl combine the cornbread mix with the milk and egg. Spread the batter over the meat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve 6 to 8.

VEGETARIAN BLACK BEAN TAMALE PIE (dairy)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green or red bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup tomato sauce

 1/2 cup water

1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and diced or 1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

2 cups grated cheese, cheddar and/or Monterey jack

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup milk

1 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

Preheat the oven to 375. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion softens and starts to color, about 5-7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and sauté until it softens, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon, and keep stirring to toast the spices about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, drained and rinsed black beans, chilies, corn, and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro. Pour the black bean mixture into a shallow 2.5 quart baking dish (such as a 12 x 7 Pyrex dish or a 9 x 9 ceramic dish) and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and set aside.

To make the topping, whisk together the water, milk, and cornmeal in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking continuously. As the mixture bubbles, keep whisking it until it gets very thick and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan (5 to 7 minutes.) Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sugar, salt, baking powder, and the beaten egg. Pour the topping over the bean mixture and spread out evenly with a spatula. Dot with the pieces of butter. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan or cookie sheet (just to catch any drips that might bubble over) and bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 6.

Adapted and modified from Vegetarian Classics by Jeanne Lemlin