Simple Supper Mondays - Volume 6: Chicken Tamale Casserole

I'm not sure what the weather is like where you are, but it's a Winter Wonderland here in West Chester, PA.  Better late than never, right?  I, personally, prefer having this kind of wintery decor around Christmas (wherein it seems appropriate).  I'd even take a frosty Valentine's Day.  But it's March.  Rita's Water Ice opens in less than a week, people.

But, March is supposed to come in a like lion. Props, March, for coming through.  

We were running low on groceries yesterday, but I did not have enough time to go proper grocery shopping.  So, I picked up the few choice ingredients for my new favorite Supper Obsession, which I will make and consume this evening.  This casserole is another Cooking Light creation, one of which is on the simpler side.  It was a recent find, and it has been a glorious addition to my Keeper Recipes. 

The ingredient list might look a little daunting, but this is a recipe where, for the most part, you just dump everything together.  I LOVE THAT.  I have found that the ingredients are easily kept on hand, so I can make this in a pinch ("Crap.  I forgot to plan ahead for dinner.  WHAT DO I DO!?!?")

The casserole comes out SO TASTY (I've been craving it on a weekly basis), and serves 8.   

Simple Supper Mondays

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr - courtesy of Cooking Light

Chicken Tamale Casserole

(from Cooking Light Magazine)

• 1 cup (4 oz) preshredded  4-cheese Mexican Blend DIVIDED
  
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
  
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
  
• 1 tsp ground cumin
  
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
  
• 1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream-style corn
  
• 1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy or Martha White)
  
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
  
• Cooking Spray
  
• 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
  
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
  
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  

1) Preheat oven to 400*

2) Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring until just moist.  Pour mixture into a 13x9-inch baking dish, coated with cooking spray.

3)  Bake at 400* for 20-25 minutes, or until set.  Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top.  Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.  Bake at 400* for 15 minutes, or until cheese melts.  Remove from oven.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Notes on the recipe:  

1) When I can't find 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, I substitute Taco/Nacho blend.  Tastes just as good!

2) For those who don't have egg substitute on hand, 1/4 cup egg subs = 1 egg.  It will change the nutrition facts, but only slightly!

3)  I don't have ground red pepper, so I just throw in a little chili powder, ground black pepper, and a dash of hot sauce instead.

4)  A great way to infuse taste into this meal is to slow cook the chicken for 2-4 hours on low in one can of enchilada sauce.  This is NOT accounted for in the ingredients - so if you go this route, buy 2 cans of enchilada sauce.  It makes the chicken juicy, and slow-cooking the chicken makes it easier to shred!

If you dare to try this recipe, let me know your thoughts!!

And, one day I might draw a blank or (God-forbid!) run out of recipe ideas - please email me your Simple Supper recipes (my email is on the right sidebar), so that I can share the wealth!

Nutritional Information
Calories:  354 (36% from fat)
Fat:  14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:  18.9g
Carbohydrate:  36.3g
Fiber:  2.5g
Cholesterol:  58mg
Iron:  1.7mg
Sodium:  620mg
Calcium:  179mg