The first time I ever heard of Tamale dressing was a week before Thanksgiving in 2009, at Central Market.  As an avid lover of all things that scream, Thanksgiving in Texas, I was naturally hooked on the variety of flavors.  How could such a thing exist and I just now discovered this delicious combination of tamales and stuffing?

Several years ago HEB and Central Market stopped offering it in their deli, but it was so delicious I was determined to learn how to cook it myself.  Fortunately, there are almost a dozen recipes online that a very similar to each other, so I picked my favorite recipe and made a few tweaks by adding toasted pecans and extra cheese.

Serves 8–10

 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of clarified butter
  • 2 cups of fresh season creole mix
  • 1 8 oz can of favorite enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups chopped poblano peppers
  • 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
  • 1 pound pre-cooked Mexican cornbread, crumbled
  • 1 cup of toasted pecans, chopped.
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 3 jalapeños, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1  1/2 cups Tillamook Mexican 4- cheese, shredded
  • 6 – 8 chopped tamales (beef, pork, chicken or veggie)
  • 1 cup of chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon of cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of fajita seasoning
  • Large Heavy Skillet
  • Heat oven to 325
  • 9×13 Inch Baking Dish

 

Directions

  1. In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, peppers, sage and oregano and sauté for 15 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Place the crumbled cornbread in a large bowl and stir in the sautéed mixture. Mix in the cilantro, corn, enchilada sauce and broth.
  3. Heat the oven to 325° and grease the baking dish with butter or oil.  Mix the tamale pieces into the dressing and add additional fajita season to taste.
  4. Place the dressing in the baking dish, cover with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes.
  5. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes more, until the dressing is browned.

 

tamale dressing