Tamale Pie (McDougall)
Source of Recipe
McDougall Newsletter
Recipe Introduction
We really like fresh corn tamales, but it is a lot of work to fill and wrap all the tamales separately. Instead of wrapping the tamales individually, I have layered the corn filling on top of the corn husks and baked it in a casserole dish, then cooked the soy sausage and cactus separately and spread this over the baked casserole. This is considered a "rich" dish because of the soy products used. It is always a big favorite with guests. I have made this for large groups with wonderful results (everyone wants the recipe!). Just multiply the recipe according to the number of guests you want to serve and prepare in batches. This may be prepared ahead up until the baking time and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Add about 10 minutes to the baking time if baking directly from the refrigerator. The sausage topping (reheat in microwave) & the salsa may also be made ahead of time.
List of Ingredients
Corn Filling:
10 to 12 ears fresh corn on the cob, in husks
1/2 cup masa flour for tamales
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cups shredded (soy or rice) (cheddar or jack cheese)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sausage Topping:
1/2 pound soy Mexican sausage (see hints)
1/4 cup canned nopalitos (see hints)
Assorted salsas
Recipe
Cut off stem end, through the husk, of each ear of corn and discard. Carefully pull off the husks without tearing and save the largest ones. Pull off silk and small pieces of husks and discard. Rinse ears well. Holding ears upright, cut off kernels with a sharp knife. You need 5 cups of kernels. Discard cobs. Place the corn in a food processor. Add the masa flour and broth. Process until corn is fairly smooth. Scrape into bowl. Add chilies, cheese and salt. Mix well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take a shallow 3 1/2 quart casserole dish and place the reserved corn husks, concave side down, in the bottom of the dish, overlapping each other and letting the ends stick up over the sides of the dish. Place some of the corn filling mixture on the husks as you go to hold them in place. Place the remaining corn mixture in the casserole and smooth out the top. Fold end of the husks over the filling, then layer some of the remaining husks over the top of the corn filling so that it is completely covered. Cover casserole dish with foil. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. To serve, remove foil and top husks. Spoon sausage/cactus topping over the corn filling. Serve with salsa on the side.
Sausage Topping: Crumble the sausage into a medium non-stick frying pan. Cook and stir until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add nopalitos and cook and stir for another minute, until hot.
Hints: There are many varieties of Mexican soy sausage in your local natural food store. Some have more fat than others, check the labels carefully. Or add some Mexican seasonings to plain soy meat, a variety of these seasoning mixtures may also be found in your natural food store. Nopalitos are cactus strips, usually sold in glass jars in the Mexican section of the supermarket or in specialty markets. This topping may be omitted, if desired, and just serve the tamale pie plain, with assorted salsas. Our favorite recipe for fresh salsa is found in the Quick & Easy Cookbook.
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4-6
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