Turkey Tamale Casserole Recipes

LEFTOVER TURKEY TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak corn husks in a bowl of warm water until softened, about 1 hour; drain.
• Mix masa, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon chili powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl. Stir corn oil into masa mixture. Measure 1/2 cup turkey broth and set aside. Add remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, to masa mixture until dough is smooth and the consistency of thick peanut butter.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; saute onion and garlic until softened and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add turkey, 1 teaspoon paprika, oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir reserved 1/2 cup turkey broth into filling until moistened.
• Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon dough in the center of each corn husk. Top filling with 1 heaping tablespoon filling. Roll husk around dough and filling, tucking bottom of husk into tamale. Tie a corn husk strip or string around each tamale to secure.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Stand tamales upright in steamer, cover, and steam until cooked through, about 1 hour. Add more water as needed.

TURKEY TAMALE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Crumble turkey into a large skillet over medium high heat and cook until almost all the pink is gone, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add green bell pepper, onion, green chili, tomatillos and cilantro and cook until softened
• Add taco seasoning mix, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.
• Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, shutting off burner after 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl beat vegetable shortening on low speed until fluffy.
• In a separate mixing bowl whisk masa harina flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
• Add chicken broth and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
• Beat flour mixture into vegetable shortening until the dough is combined. It may still have a few lumps, but that's normal.
• In a round casserole dish spread half of the masa harina dough in the bottom.
• Layer turkey filling mixture on top of that and sprinkle with monterey jack cheese.
• Top with remainder of masa harina dough.
• Place casserole dish in 9 x 13 baking dish and fill with water 1/2 way up the casserole dish.
• Cover with foil and bake for 55 minutes.
• Remove foil and turn oven temperature up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 10 minutes until top of crust just starts to turn golden brown.
• Remove from oven and garnish with monterey jack cheese and torn cilantro.

TURKEY TAMALE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and a large pinch of salt. Saute until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and poblano peppers. Season with black pepper, cumin, and oregano. Cook and stir until peppers start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add chipotles and adobo sauce. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
• Add turkey and half the Cheddar cheese to the pepper mixture. Add enchilada sauce, remaining salt, and chicken broth. Stir mixture and pour it into a 9x12-inch baking dish; place dish over a sheet pan to catch drippings.
• Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, and kosher salt together in a large bowl. Add eggs and milk; whisk into a thin batter. Ladle batter over the turkey mixture. Scatter remaining Cheddar cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the topping is browned and a toothpick comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

TURKEY TAMALE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brown turkey with chili powder.
• Add soup, pepper, corn, salsa, and water--cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Spoon into casserole dish--place prepared corn mix onto top. Bake about 20 minutes.

TURKEY TAMALES

Steps:

• For the meat filling:
• Place chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, black pepper and turkey legs into a 6-quart pot and add enough water to completely cover the meat, approximately 2 1/2 quarts. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is very tender and falling apart, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the meat from the water to a cutting board, and set aside to cool. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot. Once the turkey legs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred, discarding any skin or cartilage. Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are semi-translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and continue to cook for another minute. Add the meat and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and cook until heated through and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble.
• While the meat is cooking, place the husks in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in hot water. Soak the husks until they are soft and pliable, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours. If you have an electric kettle, place the husks in the kettle, fill with water and turn on. Once the kettle turns off, allow the husks to sit for 1 hour in the hot water.
• Place the masa, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add the lard and using your hands, knead together until the lard is well incorporated into the dry mixture. Gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, 2 to 4 cups to create a dough that is like thick mashed potatoes. The dough should be moist but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use.
• To assemble the tamales:
• Remove a corn husk from the water and pat to remove excess water. Working in batches of 6, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the meat and fold the bottom under to finish creating the tamale. Repeat until all the husks, dough and filling are used. Tie the tamales, around the center, individually or in groups of 3, with kitchen twine.
• To steam the tamales:
• Place a steamer basket in the bottom of an 11-quart pot and add enough water to come to the bottom of the basket. Stand the tamales close together on their folded ends and lean them in towards the center, away from the sides of the pot. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Check the water level every 15 to 20 minutes, and add boiling water by pouring down the side of the pot, if necessary. Steam until the dough is firm and pulls away from the husk easily, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Serve warm. Store leftover tamales, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the freezer, for up to a month. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and steam until heated through.