Tamale stuffing is a great twist on the typical Thanksgiving spread. It has a definite tamale flavor and texture but I found it very complementary to traditional dishes like mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, yams, etc. Very tasty.
I’m going to take the leftover stuffing and try some casserole ideas – like put a half inch of stuffing in a baking pan, then layer shredded cooked turkey mixed with green enchilada sauce or diced green chiles, then top with another layer of stuffing. Sort of like a tamale in casserole form. I see all kinds of potential for this stuffing.
Note: This makes a lot. I cut the recipe in half for a 12-lb turkey and it was more than enough. You will most likely have plenty of broth left over. I left the remaining broth in the crockpot, threw the turkey bones in and made turkey soup. Yum! This was the best turkey soup base I’ve ever made.
Also note that tamales vary a lot in size. I like the Del Real tamales available at Costco. They are bigger than most tamales. You can also use cheese tamales, pork tamales, whatever. I used about half cheese & green chile tamales and half chicken tamales.
- 2½ 10 oz cans mild green enchilada sauce
- 2 10 oz cans water
- 2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced (for broth)
- Turkey liver, gizzard, and neck
- 8 oz hot sausage (chorizo or Italian sausage)
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
- ¼ cup butter
- 8 cups broken pieces of tamales (about 10 to 12 tamales)
- 1 recipe day-old cornbread, 8x8" pan broken into pieces
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1¼ cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ cup diced green chiles
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 16-20 lb turkey
- Combine enchilada sauce, water, chicken broth, chili powder, poultry seasoning, salt, quartered onion, garlic, turkey liver, gizzard, and neck and simmer 3-4 hours, adding more water if necessary. Using a crockpot on low works great. Set aside to use as a basting sauce and gravy. Strain before using.
- Brown sausage, drain, and set aside.
- Saute chopped onions and green chiles in butter.
- Crumble tamales and cornbread into a very large bowl, stirring to blend. Add sausage, onions, eggs, cumin, salt and pepper and mix gently. Pour enough broth on to thoroughly moisten without making it soggy. Blend well.
- Loosely stuff turkey and truss before baking.
- Roast stuffed turkey as usual, basting frequently with broth until done. Use remaining broth mixed with turkey drippings to make gravy.
what size can for the the enchilada sauce do i use??
Thanks for catching this – it’s 10 oz cans of enchilada sauce. I used the Kroger brand “Verde Enchilada Sauce” carried by King Soopers. (I’ve updated the recipe on the website)