Layered Chicken Tamale Bake
I love tamales, but I've never taken the time to learn how to make them from scratch at home. In San Antonio, we have several places that specialize in making delicious handmade tamales in a variety of flavors...so I let the experts do my tamale making for me! I was hungry for chicken tamales yesterday, but I didn't have time to run all the way across town to buy them at my favorite place. Imagine how happy I was when I found a recipe for a simple chicken tamale casserole online.
I had most of the ingredients in my kitchen already, so a quick trip to the corner market was all it took to round up the rest of the ingredients that I needed. This dish has tons of great flavor from gooey melted cheese, shredded chicken breast that's doused in spicy enchilada sauce, and a moist base layer that features packaged cornbread mix. This dish is super easy to whip up, and it smells absolutely wonderful as it bakes away in the oven. It's basically a meal on its own, but you can add sides if you want. Last night, I served it with Spanish rice...but I'm planning to serve the leftovers tonight with homemade guacamole and chips.
I had most of the ingredients in my kitchen already, so a quick trip to the corner market was all it took to round up the rest of the ingredients that I needed. This dish has tons of great flavor from gooey melted cheese, shredded chicken breast that's doused in spicy enchilada sauce, and a moist base layer that features packaged cornbread mix. This dish is super easy to whip up, and it smells absolutely wonderful as it bakes away in the oven. It's basically a meal on its own, but you can add sides if you want. Last night, I served it with Spanish rice...but I'm planning to serve the leftovers tonight with homemade guacamole and chips.
Layered Chicken Tamale Bake
adapted from Cooking Light
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400. Combine the following ingredients in a mixing bowl: 1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix, 1/2 cup shredded co-jack cheese, 1/3 cup skim milk, 1 medium egg, 1/3 cup diced onion, 1 can diced green chiles, and 1 can cream corn. Stir to combine, and pour the cornbread mixture into a greased baking pan. The recipe calls for a 13x9 pan, but I used one that was slightly smaller. Bake for 15 minutes, until browned and set.
Step 2: While the cornbread base is baking, combine 2 cups shredded chicken breast and 1/2 cup canned enchilada sauce (from a 15-ounce can) in a small bowl. You can use rotisserie chicken or poach one large chicken breast in a bit of broth or salted water.
Step 3: When the cornbread base comes out of the oven, poke holes over the top with a fork. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top. Evenly spoon the reserved chicken mixture on top of the enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with another 3/4 cup of shredded co-jack cheese.
Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove the dish from oven and let it sit about 5 minutes to cool a bit and make it easier to cut. Cut into 6-8 squares; top each square with lowfat sour cream and sliced green onions.
We really enjoyed the flavor of this dish. The cornbread base is moist like the masa in a traditional tamale, but a bit sweeter. The onion and green chiles give it a nice spicy flavor. The chicken and enchilada sauce add another great layer of flavor. And the cheese? Well...is lots of melted cheese ever a bad idea?!?!?
I hope you'll give this easy recipe a try soon, because it delivers a lot of bang for your kitchen buck! Although I poached my own chicken breast this time, this would be a perfect weeknight dinner using a takeout rotisserie chicken. That would cut the prep time for this dish to about 15 minutes + baking time.
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