PROTEINS - Tamales

Tamales can be the main dish, but they're also great chopped up or used as a base for casseroles, bowls, and skillet meals.

• Tamale casserole — tamales topped with enchilada sauce, cheese, beans, and peppers, then baked.
• Tamale pie — chopped tamales baked with chili, cheese, corn, and tomatoes.
• Tamale breakfast skillet — tamales, scrambled eggs, cheese, salsa, and avocado.
• Tamale huevos rancheros — tamales topped with fried eggs, ranchero salsa, and queso fresco.
• Tamale nachos — sliced tamales, cheese, beans, jalapeños, salsa, sour cream, and avocado.
• Tamale enchiladas — tamales covered in enchilada sauce and cheese and baked until bubbly.
• Tamale chili bowl — chili served over or alongside tamales with cheese and onions.
• Tamale and beans plate — tamales with refried beans, Mexican rice, salsa, and pickled onions.
• Tamale tacos — crumble the tamale filling into tortillas with salsa, onions, cilantro, and lime.
• Tamale hash — chopped tamales crisped with potatoes, onions, peppers, and eggs.
• Tamale breakfast burritos — chopped tamales, eggs, potatoes, cheese, and salsa wrapped in a tortilla.
• Tamale quesadillas — shredded tamale filling, cheese, peppers, and onions between tortillas.
• Tamale stuffed peppers — tamale filling combined with cheese and stuffed into bell peppers.
• Tamale soup — chicken or beef broth with shredded tamales, beans, corn, tomatoes, and chiles.
• Tamale tortilla soup — tortilla soup topped with pieces of tamale instead of tortilla strips.
• Tamale verde casserole — pork or chicken tamales baked with salsa verde, cheese, and crema.
• Tamale bowl — tamale, rice, black beans, corn, avocado, salsa, and lettuce.
• BBQ tamale bowl — tamales with smoked brisket or pulled pork, beans, slaw, and BBQ sauce.
• Tamale and smoked sausage skillet — sliced tamales, smoked sausage, peppers, onions, and spicy tomato sauce.
• Tamale chili bake — chili topped with sliced tamales and cheddar, then baked.
• Tamale Benedict — toasted or pan-crisped tamale topped with poached eggs and chipotle hollandaise.
• Tamale sliders — small portions of tamale filling on buns with slaw, pickled onions, and spicy sauce.
• Tamale stuffed baked potato — baked potato topped with chopped tamale, cheese, chili, and sour cream.
• Tamale street-corn plate — tamales with elote, cotija, cilantro, lime, and chili powder.
• Tamale platter — tamales served with rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, queso fresco, and a fresh salad.

Great ways to use leftover tamales

If you're working with leftover tamales, my top choices are tamale casserole, breakfast hash, nachos, enchiladas, or a tamale-and-sausage skillet. Cutting them into pieces and pan-frying them until the edges get crispy is particularly good.