Best Smoked Cheddar Cheese Tamales Recipes

POBLANO AND CHEESE TAMALES (TAMALES DE RAJAS CON QUESO)

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange poblano peppers in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer into a resealable plastic bag and let them steam, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off skin, seed, and cut them into strips.
• Place tomatillos in a pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they change color, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add blended tomatillos and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes. Add poblano peppers and cilantro and boil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Beat remaining lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and baking powder and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough has a smooth and workable consistency that is not too wet, similar to cookie dough. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomatillo sauce and a piece of Monterey Jack cheese in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

SMOKED CHEDDAR AND CREOLE MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, toasting until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
• In a separate large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk vigorously to combine, being careful not to burn the mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring the bechamel to a simmer, and cook to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the Creole seasoning and dill.
• Place the egg in a medium bowl. Remove 1/3 cup of the bechamel sauce and whisk it into the egg to temper. Then add the egg-bechamel mixture back into the pot and whisk to combine. Gradually add the smoked Cheddar, Monterey jack and pepper jack, whisking to maintain a smooth texture and avoid clumping. Stir in the cooked pasta.
• Spoon the warm mac and cheese into a serving bowl. Top with the panko breadcrumbs.

BEAN AND CHEESE TAMALES

Steps:

• Put the oil into a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove half and reserve it for the tamale dough.
• To the pan with the remaining onions add the beans, hot sauce, chili powder and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. (Reserve 1 cup for the Round 2 Recipe, Bean and Cheese Chalupas.)
• In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of salt and the baking powder. Cut the butter into the cornmeal using a fork or a pastry blender. Add the broth, a little at a time, until the dough comes together. Mix in the reserved cooked onions and garlic
• Cut parchment paper into 8 (8 by 8-inch) squares. Spread 1/3 cup of the tamale dough onto the center of the paper and lightly press it into a circle. Put a heaping tablespoon of the beans on top with a tablespoon of cheese. Bring the 2 corners of the paper at the ends of the rectangle up to encase the beans and cheese with the tamale dough. Fold the corners together a couple of times. Fold the other sides over to cover the seam and turn right side up. Continue this process with the remaining dough and filling.
• Put a steamer basket into a large pot and add enough water to come just below the basket. Cover the pot and put it over medium-low heat to bring the water to a simmer. Put the tamales in the steamer basket. Cover and steam the tamales until the dough is cooked through, about 1 hour, Check after 30 minutes, you may need to add more water to the pot. Remove the tamales from paper wrapping and serve warm.