Pass the Pasta and Make Your Football Party Entertaining Stress-free

Washington, DC - If you're responsible for hosting your friends for a college or professional football game, you'll want to serve a dish that's easy, flavorful and can feed a large crowd. The National Pasta Association (NPA) suggests Tamale Casserole, a Mexican-inspired dish featuring egg noodles, corn, black olives, cheese, chili powder, and tamales. A popular Mexican food, tamales consist of minced and seasoned meat that has been wrapped in cornmeal dough, and cooked in cornhusks. Tamales can be found jarred in the international section of your grocery store.

Tamale Casserole
Serves 8

1 lb. wide egg noodles

1 28 oz. jar beef tamales in gravy

1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1 6 oz. can large black ripe olives, drained and cut into fourths

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 C. tomato juice

1-1/2 tbsp. chili powder

1-2 dashes of Tabasco

1-1/2 C. Cheddar cheese, grated

salt & pepper to taste

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Prepare egg noodles according to package directions, drain. Meanwhile, grease a 13x9 baking dish. To prepare tamales, remove outside paper and slice into bite sized pieces into baking dish. Add any remaining tamale gravy from can, corn, and black olives.

In a small bowl, mix the can of tomato sauce with tomato juice, chili powder and Tabasco. Add to the tamale mixture along with the cooked noodles; mix well. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Top with cheese and sliced olives. Bake in a 350- degree F. oven until hot, 25 to 30 minutes.

Each serving provides: 391 Calories; 16 g Protein; 54 g Carbohydrates; 14 g Fat; 56 mg Cholesterol; 1092 mg Sodium, 84 mcg Folate.
Calories from Fat: 31%

National Pasta Association (NPA)