Recipe: Tamale Casserole with Neat Mexican Mix

In yesterday’s post I reviewed Neat, which is a shelf-stable, dry-mix, meat-alternative product that’s available in three flavors: Mexican, Italian, and Original.

Using the Mexican mix, I made a hearty tamale casserole inspired by a recipe from Plan To Eat. 

Tamales are delicious but definitely require a bit of time to prepare. That’s why I like making tamale casseroles because I cook the filling, throw it in a pan, top it with the masa dough, and then bake. The trick to a perfect topping is steaming the masa dough so it obtains the tender, flaky consistency of a tamale cooked in a corn husk.

The last couple times I’ve made a tamale casserole, I prepared my dish, topped it with the masa, and then set the glassware on a rack inside of a roasting pan. I then added enough water into the roasting pan so the water level came about halfway up the side of the glassware. I covered the entire roasting pan and glassware with a few sheets of aluminum foil and baked it. The water bath steamed the masa effectively. 

I wanted to try Plan To Eat’s way because it didn’t involve the water bath. I did cover the glassware with foil because I was concerned the masa topping would get dry without it.

Masa is fun to work with because the texture is very fine. When you add a liquid, the mixture feels soft and fluffy in your hands. 

Tamale Casserole

Ingredients:

Topping:

• 2 cups masa
• 1-1/2 tsp of baking powder
• ½ tsp of salt
• ½ c of melted coconut oil
• 2 cups of vegetable broth

Directions:

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then pour in the melted coconut oil and vegetable broth. Mix with a spoon and then your hands until the dough can be shaped into a ball. Set aside the bowl and complete the filling.

Filling:

• 1 package of Neat Mexican mix, prepared and set aside
• 1 T of oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 c. salsa
• ½ c. corn
• 1 can of black beans, drain and rinsed
• 1 c. of chopped olives
• Optional: chopped jalapenos, bell peppers, green onions.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Over medium heat, saute the onions in the oil in a large skillet. After 5 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the salsa, corn, beans, and prepared Neat mix. Simmer for 3-5 minutes and then remove from the heat. The Neat mixture will break down in the skillet and take on the texture of refried beans. You want the filling to be on the wetter side, so add more salsa juice or a couple tablespoons of veggie broth if the mixture starts to get pasty. Taste and add salt if needed.

The onion, corn, bean, and Neat mixture.

Transfer the filling to a 13-by-9-inch pan. Top with the chopped olives. (I also added chopped green onions). Grab a handful of the masa dough and flatten it in between your hands before laying it on the filling; repeat until the filling is covered. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and leave it covered on the stove for 10 minutes or so. 

Once in the glassware, I topped the mixture with chopped olives and green onions.

I flattened the masa dough in my hands and then placed the pieces over the mixture.

The masa topping was flavorful and slightly moist. The water-bath method produces a slightly moister topping, but the difference isn’t that great. With the water-bath method, you bake the dish for about an hour and then allow it to cool under the foil for 10-15 minutes. Bake longer if the topping looks like it needs more steaming.

I topped this tamale pie with salsa and some homemade Cilantro Avocado cream sauce, recipe from Oh She Glows here. (Scroll down for cream recipe)

A piece of tamale casserole topped with salsa and a cilantro avocado cream sauce.

The dish was spicy, sweet, tangy, and briny. The beans and corn gave a nice chew, while the Neat provided a creamy texture. The masa topping delivered a slight corn flavor and pastry-like texture. This is a dish worth making again!