Tamale Bake (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

This is another childhood favorite I resurrected last year.  Some people call it Tamale Pie.  To-may-to to-mah-to; po-tay-to po-tah-to.  Whatever you call it, casseroles from the 1960s are making a comeback at our house.



Tamale Bake

1 lb ground beef
1 c chopped onion
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 15-oz can chili ready tomatoes
1 15-oz can whole kernel sweet corn
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 T canola oil

Brown ground beef and onion.  Add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, and beans and heat to a boil.  Pour the mixture into a 3-quart casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together, then spoon over the meat mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.


I will often substitute leftover chili for the meat mixture.  When I make chili, it's a HUGE pot, so there's always plenty left over, and this is one way to use it up.

Peanut Butter Cookies (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

Peanut butter cookies are very popular in our house, the kind that are basically chocolate chip cookie dough with peanut butter flavored chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  There is no peanut butter in the dough!  What???  How can those be considered peanut butter cookies?   (I actually have a recipe for those, but this isn't it!)

Here's the recipe for REAL peanut butter cookies - the ones my mom used to make - 1960s-style.


Traditional Peanut Butter Cookies (about 2 1/2 dozen)

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4  t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Cream together butter and peanut butter.  Add sugars gradually and cream.  Add egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.  Add gradually to the creamed mixture.  Cover the bowl and chill dough 15-30 minutes.  It will be fairly soft.

Roll into about 1-tablespoon dough balls with your hands (I use a cookie scoop to measure).  Roll in additional granulated sugar (you'll need about 1/3 cup) and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Flatten slightly with a fork in a criss-cross pattern (to about 1/2 inch thick).

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.  Let sit on the baking sheet about 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.  Cookies will be tender-crisp, not soft.

This recipe can be doubled.