Tuesday, March 31, 2020

It Ain’t Gourmet Tamale Chili Casserole

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I remember when my boys were little and I had to get dinner on the table. It had to be something that I could get to them in the quickest amount of time possible, that my picky then husband would like, that the boys would like, and that was reasonably nutritious, and by reasonable, I mean by the widest definition of that word. I didn’t have time to browse cookbooks, or flip through magazines, or involve myself in tedious activities like pounding meat between two slices of waxed paper, or cutting vegetables into even julienne. I had to have a trough of something at the ready.

Remembering those days, and attempting to make up for today’s lack of culinary preparedness, I furiously ransacked my pantry, and found a can of tamales, and a can of chili, don’t ask me what they were doing there. I remember years ago, and I’m talking back in the 80s, when tamale casserole was all the rage, so I went back in time for a revisit. I assembled it from what I could remember, popped it into the oven, and when it was ready, I dug right in. I’ll tell you what, this is delicious! It was so satisfying and yummy, that I could hear myself making sounds one might hear from a pig looking for truffles. As I alluded to in the title, it isn’t fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it is REALLY good.
It Ain’t Gourmet Tamale Chili Casserole

1 15-oz. can chili no beans
1 15-oz. can beef tamales
1 small Melissa’s shallot, chopped fine
1 2.25-oz. can
chopped black olives
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Crushed corn chips

Preheat oven to 350° F. In an 11” x 7” baking dish, spread half of the chili evenly on the bottom. Remove paper from tamales and place them on top of the chili. Sprinkle with shallot, black olives, corn, and cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately topped with crushed corn chips, guacamole, sour cream, additional cheese, or whatever you happen to like.



5 comments:

Gina said...

Canned tamales take me back! My mother did the same thing when we were little, but I am sure she used canned corn, and olives were not in her budget. As a young mom, I made this, too. The trick with my kids was to LOAD it with Fritos! Comfort food at its best!

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

I hadn't thought about that dish in a long time. It sounds like something I might have the ingredients for in the back of my cabinet, except for the Fritos. Definitely need to get some Fritos for this.

My husband may go shopping this week, wearing a mask (not the fancy N95 version,unfortunately)and rubber gloves. I told him he should wear some light tint sunglasses and a baseball hat to cover his hair, too. While he shops I will prepare the dining table as a grocery triage area to clean everything he brings home. Then I will sanitize the table and doorknobs, faucet handles, and my hands after all of that.

As the cases rise in Missouri, I am thinking we should get home delivery or pick up from the store. It is starting to feel too risky for shopping now. My husband has been resisting doing that, but I think he will soon change his mind. We will probably have to be less picky about what we get from the store when he doesn't do the shopping. Better to be less picky than infected, though.

Take care.

Susie D.

Linda said...

I laughed out loud at "trough". :D
Pattie this is what I love about you. You are such an excellent gourmet cook, but you are not above a can of tamales! My husband keeps wanting to buy cans of tamales, and I keep telling him I'll make my own or at least buy handmade ones in the freezer section (then I never do). I'm going to surprise him with this casserole, and he will love it and thank his stars that I read your blog. :)

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I think we are all going to be getting a lot less picky, Susie, as the time goes on. A friend of mine told me she had mashed potatoes for breakfast the other day. I keep heading to the freezer, and the other day thought I had pulled out a slice of pumpkin bread. Honestly, I have no idea what I was eating, but it was tasty. I was lying in bed last night thinking about what I was going to fix for the rest of the week. I can tell you it involves a lot of diced tomatoes and canned green beans. Take care and be safe!

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Patti,
You are a great story teller and cook! During this crises, I am begin more careful about not wasting food and using what I have in the cupboard.. I bought a lot of dried beans, just in case.. but as I now- it's very hot in Florida and the beans seem too heavy for this weather.. but we have them and they will keep! Stay safe.. enjoyed your post.