Create an Easy Tamale Casserole using Beef , Chicken, or Pork Tamales smothered in a scrumptious easy homemade enchilada sauce, cheese, fresh chopped cilantro and green onion. Topped off with a hearty sprinkle of Cotija cheese!
What do you do when you have a few bags of homemade tamales lurking around the freezer and your grand-daughters 1st birthday party is a “Fiesta” theme? You make this delicious Tamale Casserole using frozen Tamales either store bought or homemade.
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Our little “Rae” of sunshine turned one this month! (I swear I blinked and this happened! Also…you had to know I was going to post a cute picture of her right?!!! It’s in the Grandma by-laws.)
(Photo Credit:Katie Warby)
Back to our regular scheduled program…
I was asked to bring the salsa and to make the taquito’s. I’m a typical Mom. I felt like I needed to do more. I thought about what I had on hand and came up with this delicious new casserole! I’m so excited to share this dish with y’all!
How to Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce
This casserole starts by whipping up a quick batch of this wonderful enchilada sauce! You are going to be shocked how easy this sauce is to make. I always thought it was a big major process until my friend Gail showed me the light! I give her all the credit for this delicious sauce!
In a large skillet mix together 4 Tablespoons of vegetable oil, 4 Tablespoons of flour, and 3 Tablespoons of your favorite chili powder. (Everyone has a favorite right? lol)
Continue whisking over medium heat until slightly thick. I love the beautiful deep rich color of this sauce!
Add four cups of beef broth. You can use chicken broth…I just happen to love the depth of flavor from the beef broth. Use what ya have on hand. Either will be wonderful.
Add the spices and stir until well combined. The oregano likes to be stubborn and do the back stroke on top of the sauce….don’t you worry about that. As the sauce thickens…they’ll sink like the Titanic!(Que the theme music! If you look close you can see Leonardo hanging on to a leaf for dear life!)
Add one 6 oz. can of tomato sauce. Whisk away my friends.
Continue stirring over low heat until sauce thickens. Allow to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes to allow spices to incorporate and give depth to the sauce.
Set sauce aside.
Next up…the Tamales!
If you don’t have bags of homemade tamales lurking in your freezer…that’s okay! You can use Tamales from the grocery store. If you’re lucky…you may even have a local lady that makes homemade tamales. It’s completely up to you what type of tamales you use.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the Corn Husk! This is really important…unless you have teeth like a T-Rex!
Lay the tamales across the pan, filling the pan. Don’t worry about how pretty it looks. It’s gonna get covered up…so what we can’t be see we don’t worry about. (That’s why MuMu’s and Tunic tops were created! Can I get an “Amen”!… I suddenly want a Dole Whip and to hang out at the Tiki Shack at Disneyland!)
Time to smother these Tamales!
Cover them liberally with that amazing enchilada sauce. One of the great things about this recipe…the Corn Masa soaks up all that luscious enchilada sauce like my winter dry hands do when lotion skims their surface!
Now if you don’t want to go to the trouble of making this incredible enchilada sauce…I won’t hold it against you. You can use canned sauce.
Let’s keep smothering this dish! Load it up with grated cheese!
Sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro and green onions!
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place casserole in oven on center of middle rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cheese melts and the sauce is bubbling!
You can skip this next step…but I HIGHLY recommend it. Crumble up 1/4 cup of Cotija cheese and sprinkle all over the top of the casserole.
What is Cotija Cheese?
Cotija Cheese is Named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán where it originated, Cotija cheese has a strong, salty flavor and is mostly used as a topping or mixed into sauces.
I absolutely love the flavor of this cheese. It adds an extra punch of flavor to this dish!
When you serve this dish…don’t worry about keeping the Tamales intact! That’s why I made a casserole…it serves easily by the spoonful!
I almost made myself sick on this casserole. (Almost…but I’m no quiter!)
Look at all the ingredients melding together on that fork! That my friends…is South of the Border happiness! Ya wanna know what else? This dish just gets better the next day! Sigh! (I’m hangry now!)
Such a quick simple dish. If you love tamales you’ll love this recipe. Remember you can use substitutions for the tamales. Beef, Chicken, or Pork. Store bought or homemade. You can use canned enchilada sauce or my homemade recipe.
Customize this to fit into your schedule and likes! If you love tamales…you’ll love this recipe!
Questions You May Have About this Dish…
- Can I freeze this dish? YES! You can freeze this dish. Cover with foil and store in the freezer for up to one month.
- Can I cook this dish in my slow cooker? YES! This dish is slow cooker friends. Cook on low for 4 hours.
- Does this casserole re-heat well? Yes it does! (I may have tried it several times!)
- Where do I find Cotija Cheese? It is usually located in the wall deli of your local market or with the specialty cheeses.
I should warn you…once you start eating this delicious meal…you’re gonna need that MuMu!
If you enjoyed this Tamale Casserole you may also enjoy these Family Favorite Mexican Recipes
- Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Instant Pot Pork Chili Verde
- Chili Relleno Casserole
- Oven Baked Loaded Chimichanga
- Homemade Taquitos
- Mexican Corn from Allrecipes.com
Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram to find all my latest recipes. I’d love to have you join the party!
Happy Nesting!
Easy Tamale Casserole
Pre-made beef, chicken, or pork tamales in a rich savory homemade enchilada sauce topped with melted cheese, fresh chopped cilantro and green onions, and a hearty sprinkle of cotija cheese.
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 4 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 4 Cups Beef Broth
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, Optional
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Casserole
- 1 dozen beef, chicken, or pork Tamales, husks removed.
- 2 cups Enchilada sauce
- 2 cups grated cheddar jack cheese
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup Cotija Cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat add oil, flour, and chili powder. Mix until well blended. Stir over heat until thick.
- Add 4 cups beef broth, continue stirring until incorporated. Add spices and 6 oz. can of tomato paste. Whisk together until smooth and sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Line tamales in baking dish. Cover with enchilada sauce, top with cheese, cilantro, and green onion.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Cotija cheese.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 706Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 1698mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 50g
Norine’s Nest in no way provides any warranty, express or implied, towards the content of recipes in this website. It is the reader’s responsibility to determine the value and quality of any recipe or instructions provided for food preparation and to determine the nutritional value, if any, and safety of the preparation instructions.
Emily Shipman
Tuesday 20th of July 2021
Thanks for a great recipe! I've made other enchilada sauce recipes before but I think I like this one the best- it turned out great. I only had 10 tamales- 5 chicken and 5 green chile/cheese- but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out wonderfully and was done right around the 40 minute mark. I served this with some avocado chunks and even more of the enchilada sauce. I think next time I will use meatier tamales and/or add in some beans or meat to the mix. Definitely a bit more sauce because it's so good. Thanks again- delicious!
norine@norinesnest.com
Tuesday 20th of July 2021
Hi Emily! My mouth is watering! Your dinner sounds wonderful. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing! I loved it! Norine
Love
Tuesday 29th of September 2020
I found this recipe back in February and have made it at least a dozen times. This casserole is so quick to put together, but true comfort food, and easy to keep the ingredients on hand. I don't make homemade tamales (yet) but I have found some very good frozen vegetarian ones in my local natural foods store, and this is a perfect way to use them. I don't eat meat, but I sometimes top my husband's tamales with shredded chicken and a little more sauce.
The enchilada sauce is perfection. I have used canned when I have been short on time, and it works just fine, but it is definitely not quite as delicious.
Thank you for helping to make quarantine a little easier, and a LOT tastier.
chris
Thursday 8th of April 2021
@norine@norinesnest.com,
Can you use canned enchilada sauce for this recipe? To much work to make it but much easier to use canned. thanks, been looking for a recipe with tamales that doesnt have creamed corn.... ugh.
norine@norinesnest.com
Thursday 8th of October 2020
Thank you so much for this wonderful review. You made my week!!! If I could make quarantine a little easier on everyone I would truly be the happiest woman on the planet. I love the idea of using vegetarian tamales. GREAT IDEA! I hope you'll stop by again soon. Have a wonderful weekend. Happy Nesting! Norine
KD
Friday 11th of September 2020
Do you defrost the tamales first?
norine@norinesnest.com
Monday 14th of September 2020
Hi Koren! I do defrost them, but it isn't necessary. You'll just need to increase your cook time...by at least 20 minutes. Happy Nesting! Norine
Kari
Monday 13th of April 2020
BTW, for anyone who is worried about it being too spicy for your tastes, here is what I did to mess with what I'm sure was perfection. I will definitely make this enchilada sauce again and play with the seasoning amounts.
I didn't have chili powder so I subbed 1 T cumin, 1 T powdered garlic, 1 t oregano, 1/2 t salt, a few shakes of cayenne. Then when it called for the other seasonings to be added, I didn't.
Kari
Monday 13th of April 2020
So delicious! I had store-bought tamales, which had seemed like a good idea at the time, but sounded dry and uninteresting after I got them home. I am so sad there were no leftovers and can't wait until my next grocery outing to get more tamales (which since I'm writing this during Covid19, it's going to be a while...). It's not often that everyone in my family likes something, but this fit that bill. Thank you!
norine@norinesnest.com
Monday 13th of April 2020
Hi Kari! I'm so glad you liked this recipe! I have to agree that I don't think frozen tamales are that exciting...but kick them up and you have an amazing meal. Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us and especially for your substitutions on the sauce. Great ideas! Stay safe and thanks again for stopping by! Happy Nesting! ~Norine