Tamales are a huge part of the Christmas celebration and tradition in the Rio Grande Valley, where Sandy was born and raised. As such, the holiday season simply wouldn’t be complete without eating copious amounts of tamales. Tamales are fun to make, but very time-consuming, so many people simply purchase them from a local restaurant. We go to Delia’s in Edinburg, Texas. Around Christmastime, they make about 25,000 tamales and become so busy that the doors are closed to regular customers and the police are dispatched to direct traffic. If your order isn’t in at least two weeks prior to Christmas, then you’re out of luck! Our spin on the tamale is a casserole that saves you both calories and countless hours of preparation.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　Cooking spray

　　1 pound lean ground turkey

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　1 poblano pepper, roasted, seeded, and chopped

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

　　1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

　　1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

　　1 tablespoon chili powder

　　1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

　　1 (8 1/2-ounce) package cornbread mix, such as Jiffy muffin mix

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Coat a large sauté pan with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, and poblano pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is browned throughout, about 7 minutes; drain well. Return the mixture to the pan and add the corn, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

　　

Step 3

Prepare the cornbread mix according to the package instructions. Pour the mixture over the top of the casserole. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the topping is cooked and golden brown.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.