Somewhere I read about someone who made their holiday cornbread dressing with tamales, and I thought that sounded like an amazing Tex Mex idea for a casserole. So, today I’m sharing a recipe for Tex Mex Tamale Casserole that I’ve been making. My husband and teenagers absolutely LOVE it.
updated 11/29/2022
It’s tamales season here in Texas. At Christmas time it’s always a race to order your tamales to get in time for the big day. Honestly, you can only eat so many, so we end up with leftover tamales. I hate to just throw them away, so now I make tamale casserole.
Table of Contents
Ingredients to make a Tamale Casserole
Precooked tamales – pork, chicken, or beef – you’ll need about 8 to 12 tamales
1 can of creamed corn
12 oz bag of frozen corn
1/2 cup diced pickled jalapenos
1/2 cup pickled jalapeno juice
2 boxes of cornbread stuffing mix like Stove Top
1 stick of butter, melted
32 oz chicken broth
15 oz can of chili, no beans
1/2 cup shredded cheese – colby jack, cheddar, or monterrey jack
How quick can you make this?
It takes less than 30 minutes from putting it together to eating. It’s perfect as a main meal or a great side dish for taco night or it’s a wonderful spicy addition to the holiday dinner table right next to the traditional cornbread dressing.
How do you make Tex Mex Tamale Casserole?
This is one of my favorite kinds of meals because it’s literally thrown together.
In a large bowl combine the cornbread stuffing mixes, chicken broth, creamed corn, frozen corn, jalapenos, and jalapeno juice.
I take the tamales out of the fridge and heat them up just for 2-3 minutes in the microwave and then tear them up over the added ingredients.
Pour the melted butter over everything and mix up all up.
Transfer to a 9 x 13 pan.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, pour the chili over the top and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Bake for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Serve and enjoy.
You can skip the jalapenos and the jalapeno juice if you don’t want to make it too spicy. Though, the corn is sweet and does a great job counteracting the spicy with its sweetness.
Can you make this Tamale Casserole ahead of time?
Yes! I have made it up and put it in the fridge to be cooked when I got home later. You might need to cook it an additional 5-10 minutes if it’s taken right from the fridge.
This recipe also heats up beautifully for leftovers and it’s an easy thing to pack to take for lunch.
More Tex Mex Recipes
- Healthier Refried Beans
- How to make Cilantro Lime Rice in the Instant Pot
- El Fenix Enchilada Gravy for Authentic Tex Mex Cheese Enchiladas
- Cheesy TexMex Enchiladas
- Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Yield: 15 servings
Tex Mex Tamale Casserole
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
This easy Tex Mex Tamale Casserole is so quick to make and bake. You'll be eating in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 12 precooked tamales - pork, chicken, or beef
- 1 can of creamed corn
- 1 12 oz bag of frozen corn
- 1/2 cup diced pickled jalapenos
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeno juice
- 2 boxes of cornbread stuffing mix
- 1 stick of butter, melted
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 15 oz can of chili, no beans
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese - colby jack, cheddar, or monterrey jack
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick oil spray.
- In a large bowl combine cornbread stuffing mixes, chicken broth, creamed corn, frozen corn, jalapenos, jalapeno juice.
- Heat the tamales up for 2-3 minutes.
- Break the tamales up into small pieces and add to the mix.
- Add the melted butter and mix up the entire bowl until well combined.
- Pour into the 9 x 13 pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, pour the chili over the top and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
- Bake for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 458Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 1364mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 20g
Any nutritional information on thetiptoefairy.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.
Did you make this recipe?
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