Tamale Bake

I found today's recipe on The Food in My Beard and knew that I HAD to make it! I love tamales but seriously they are a pain in the ass to make. So we only have them every once and a while, well not anymore!!!!!

Tamale Bake

Things you'll need:

For the Dough:

5 cups boiling water

1 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cups corn masa/corn flour

1 cup cold water

For the Filling:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 package taco seasoning mix or as much as you desire

14oz diced tomatoes fresh or canned, really your choice

1 large onion diced

5 jalapenos, yes 5

3 cloves of garlic, mashed

cheese i would suggest at least 2 cups, depends on how much you like cheese

• Preheat oven to 350
• Heat a heavy pan on medium-high heat and brown the ground beef
• Remove beef from pan and add the onions and jalapenos, cook until brown
• Add garlic and spices and cook for about another minute
• Return beef to pot and mix well
• Add about 1 1/2 cups of water, simmer until the liquid has slightly reduced
• In a separate bowl mix together the cornmeal with some salt and add the boiling water
• Allow to sit for 5 minutes
• Add the masa/corn flour and the cold water and mix until you get an almost peanut butter like consistency
• Grease a 9 x 13 and add about half of your dough and spread up onto the side of the pan as best you can
• Add a layer of cheese and then the beef mixture
• Add another layer of cheese and the remaining dough
• Spread the dough over the beef mixtureand all of the delicious juices, sprinkle some cheese on top
• Bake for 1 hour

This was delicious! All the deliciousness of a tamales without the hassle! No complaints from the family is always a bonus too! Enjoy!