This is the sort of dish you expect to find bubbling In grandma's oven. Tamale Joe Casserole combines the charm of a good tamale in a one-pot family dish that is quick and easy to make.
It's good for the church potluck, fantastic for Saturday afternoon with the grandkids, and like all good casseroles, you can change it to suit the tastes of the diners.
Tamales can be traced back as far as 5000 BC to ancient civilizations, like the Aztec, Maya, Olmeca and Tolteca. The ingredients are usually wrapped in a spongy masa harina dough and covered with a corn husk. The technique makes a typical tamale easy to take with you. Soldiers took tamales with them on marches. Families still use them to serve large gatherings.
Inside the dough, you can find anything from seafood to rice to beans and meat. When you think about it, the humble casserole dish is much the same; why shouldn't it be like a tamale?
This recipe can be altered to suit the audience. An adult crowd might like onion mixed in with the meat. Smoked paprika can take the place of chili powder if chili is too spicy. You can use pork, chicken or lamb to change up the taste in this dish, which is hard to ruin.
You will need:
1/2 pound sliced link sausage
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pitted sliced olives
1 8-ounce can of corn, drained
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup milk
3/4 cup yellow corn meal
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Before you start working, set your oven to 350 to let it preheat.
Cook the ground beef and sausage. Once the meat has fully cooked and has browned, drain off excess fat. Add all ingredients, except cheese and olives. Stir until well mixed.
Spray a baking dish and pour ingredients in. Even the casserole out by running the back of a serving spoon over the top to create a flat top, then cover with grated cheese and add sliced olives. For a saltier dish, sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top before adding cheese and olives.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until cheese has melted.