Why You’ll Love This this Velvety Layered Chicken Tamale Casserole
This comfort food masterpiece combines tender canned tamales with juicy chicken and a ridiculously creamy sauce that’ll make you forget all about complicated cooking.
You literally just layer everything in a dish, pour over the dreamy mixture of soup, sour cream, corn, and cheese, then let the oven work its magic for twenty minutes.
It’s the kind of recipe that makes you look like a kitchen genius when really you just opened some cans and called it a day, which honestly sounds perfect to me.
Ingredients List
You’ll need just six simple ingredients to create this wonderfully cheesy, comfort food masterpiece that practically assembles itself.
- 2 (16 ounce) cans tamales
- 3-4 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
- 10 1/2 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 (14 3/4 ounce) can creamed corn
- 8 ounces Cheese Whiz
Now let’s be real about the health factor here:
- This casserole definitely falls into the “comfort food” category rather than the “clean eating” one, with plenty of processed ingredients and creamy goodness
- The canned tamales and Cheese Whiz bring convenience but also extra sodium, so maybe balance it out with a fresh salad on the side
- You’re getting protein from the chicken, which is great, and you could always use rotisserie chicken to save time
- Consider this a treat meal rather than an everyday dinner, because sometimes your soul needs melted cheese and creamy corn more than it needs kale
Step by Step Directions
This hearty casserole layers tamales, chicken, and a creamy sauce mixture for an easy weeknight dinner that feeds a crowd.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a deep casserole dish.
- Unwrap the tamales from both cans, saving any sauce, and place them in the prepared dish.
- Layer the sliced cooked chicken breasts on top of the tamales.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, creamed corn, and Cheese Whiz until well combined.
- Pour the creamy mixture evenly over the chicken and tamales.
- Cover the casserole with foil or a lid.
- Bake for 20 minutes until heated through and bubbly.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving to allow the layers to set.
For authentic steamed tamales, consider using a bamboo steamer to achieve that traditional texture and flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Tamale shortcuts – Frozen tamales work in a pinch, just thaw them first so they don’t turn your casserole into an ice rink.
- Dairy-free option – Use coconut cream instead of sour cream and dairy-free cheese, though I won’t pretend it tastes exactly the same.
- Add some crunch – Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips on top during the last 5 minutes of baking, because texture is everything in comfort food.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This hearty casserole practically begs for sides that won’t compete with its rich, creamy goodness.
- Simple green salad – Something crisp and acidic cuts through all that cheese and cream, plus you can pretend you’re being healthy while diving into comfort food heaven.
- Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice – Because more carbs never hurt anyone, and the bright flavors play nicely with the tamale base.
- Roasted vegetables – Bell peppers, zucchini, or corn on the cob keep the Mexican theme going without overwhelming your already-loaded plate.
- Fresh avocado slices – Just slice and sprinkle with lime juice and salt, because sometimes the simplest additions are the most perfect.
- Warm flour tortillas – Yes, it’s carbs on carbs, but wrapping bites of this casserole in a soft tortilla feels like the right kind of wrong.
- Pickled jalapeños or quick-pickled red onions – The acidity cuts through the richness and adds that little pop of brightness that makes everything taste more balanced.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
A few smart moves can turn this simple casserole from good to absolutely irresistible.
- Don’t skip the tamale sauce – That goopy stuff in the can might look questionable, but it’s pure flavor gold that keeps everything moist and adds authentic tamale taste.
- Let your chicken cool before slicing – Hot chicken turns into shredded mess when you try to cut it, and we want nice, neat pieces that hold their shape in the casserole.
- Mix your creamy layer thoroughly – Nobody wants to bite into a pocket of straight Cheese Whiz, though honestly, some people mightn’t mind that situation.
- Use a deep dish – This recipe makes a lot, and shallow pans lead to overflow disasters that smoke up your kitchen and make you question your life choices.
- Check doneness by looking for bubbling edges – When the sides are actively bubbling and the top looks set, you’re golden, even if 20 minutes feels too short.
- Rest for 10 minutes before serving – I know waiting is torture when it smells this good, but those few minutes let everything settle so your first scoop doesn’t turn into molten lava soup.
- Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly – Some ovens run hot and will turn your beautiful casserole into a science experiment before the inside heats through.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty casserole packs serious comfort food energy into every serving.
- Serves: 8-10 people generously
- Calories per serving: Approximately 420-480 calories
- Protein: 28-32g from chicken and cheese
- Carbohydrates: 35-40g mainly from corn masa and creamed corn
- Fat: 22-26g from cheese, sour cream, and tamale filling
- Fiber: 4-6g from corn and masa
- Sodium: 1,200-1,400mg (pretty high from canned ingredients and processed cheese)
- Calcium: Good source from cheese and dairy ingredients
- Iron: Moderate amount from chicken and fortified corn products
- Vitamin A: Decent levels from cheese and corn
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes plus resting
Fun “Did You Know?”
Beyond all those impressive nutritional numbers lies a fascinating culinary story that’ll make you appreciate this dish even more. Did you know tamales date back to ancient Mesoamerican civilizations around 8000 BC? They were portable meals for warriors and travelers.
The corn masa represented life itself in Aztec culture. Here’s what’s brilliant about our casserole version: we’re combining this ancient food with modern convenience ingredients like Cheese Whiz, which was actually invented in 1952 for efficiency.
You’re literally eating thousands of years of culinary evolution in one delicious bite. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it.
