Cheesy, custardy. Can swap minced jalapeno for cayenne. Serves 4.
CHEESY YELLOW SQUASH / JUNIOR LEAGUE RECIPE
ING 2 lbs sliced yellow squash, large onion, chopped teaspoon sugar 2 tsp salt softened
butter, 4 beaten eggs 4 c shredded cheddar 2 c milk 4 c bread crumbs tsp cayenne parm
METHOD Simmer tender combined squash, onion, sugar, and salt, water to cover; drain.
Spoon into a bowl and mash. Add butter and mix. Stir/mix in eggs; add cheddar, milk, bread crumbs
and cayenne. Spoon into buttered 8x8" baker, sprinkle with Parm. Bake brown and bubbly 350 deg 30 min.
Tamale tips.
I try to use every scrap of food and not waste a thing. Well, I’ve been stupid all these years. I was making pork tamales yesterday but didn’t have any lard and didn’t want to make the trip to the grocery store for some. Duh, right in front of me was the congealed meat broth with a layer of fat. Hellooo, pork fat v. lard. Oh my, that pork fat made the most tender masa ever. I’m now going to freeze meat fat.
The basic recipe is the one on the Fooknetwork but bump up the seasoning - https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pork-tamales-recipe-2042129
Purchased tamales cost too much and usually end up being given to the dog but he’s smart enough to turn up his nose just like us. Making your own tamales is an all day process (mainly the cooking time) but well worth it. A while back, I bought some pork butts on sale for $1/lb. (can’t go wrong with that price) so pulled one out of the freezer. One butt roast will make a few dozen tamales.
Corn husks seem expensive but one bag will last through several batches. Don’t skimp but fill that husk up as full as it can be - one equals a meal size. That will save your hands on time, saves on husks and saves a bit on the carbohydrates and calories from the masa. Start spreading the masa on one of the long sides but end it just short of the other long end and top and an inch bare at the bottom. Roll snuggly from the covered side and fold up the small end about an inch. There is no need to fold the top over or to tie it up. Frankly, the only reason not to fill the small end is because the tamale will break/spill and not turn out uniform so it has nothing to do with the cooking process.
If you don’t have a tall pot to steam them upright, not to worry. Just lay them on their sides (seam side down) with a little steamer thing in the bottom of a large pot. When standing upright, the steam drips into the tamales which you don’t want. Laying down, they don’t collect the drips.