Turkey & Cranberry Tamales (featuring Save Mart Supermarkets)

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client

I have a confession...I have never on-my-own cooked a turkey.
I always leave it to my hubby.

Well that all changed this week when I headed out to Save Mart Supermarket

to shop their BOGO deal. My kids and I are always on the go and

the mix-and-match meat sale allowed me to grab a great deal on some of

their favorite meal "must haves." Better yet, these cuts of meat were hearty...

so they allowed me to cook up a meal, have some left overs...

and to whip up a batch of tamales.

My kiddos go crazy for tamales!
They have been asking and asking for me to make some, and this presented the perfect opportunity for me to try one of my unique tamale concoctions - I just love trying unusual, non-traditional ingredients in my tamales. So, I figured...it is almost Thanksgiving...
how about some Turkey Cranberry Tamales - oh yeah...yummy!

Now...for your purists...this is my version of a tamale,not necessarily a traditional tamale...but we LOVE it! And so do the guests I serve them too! 
Every time I tell people I make tamales they look at my like I am crazy.
I had always heard how time consuming tamales were,
 but I really don't have that feeling when I make them...so go for it!

This is an easy recipe to make now or a great way to use up some of that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving day (so be sure to pin or file this recipe away for that purpose too!)

My husband is the good shopper in the family.
He is the one who "trained me" to always look at the weekly ads in the newspaper...
which is exactly where I saw this GREAT DEAL!

Save Mart Supermarkets (and Lucky Supermarket)
 are having a BOGO Turkey/meat sale from 11/13 thru 11/26!
You "Buy One Get One" when you purchase these mix-and-match sale items:

• Riverside or Honeysuckle White Frozen Turkeys
• Cooks Ham Portions
• Master Cut Beef Cross Rib Roasts
• Pork Shoulder Roasts
• Honeysuckle Turkey Breasts

When I went to the Save Mart Supermarket (my usual supermarket!),

I looked at all of my choices for the BOGO offer.

Because I already have turkey on my brain (see above)

I knew that I was going to buy the Honeysuckle Turkey Breast.

Then I decided on the Master Cut Beef Cross Rib Roast

(FYI - I will have a tamale recipe for this too!)

Be sure to visit Save Mart for other creative ideas too!

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Now for some tamale making!

Turkey and Cranberry Tamales

(makes about 6-8 4" long tamales)

PRINTABLE RECIPE 

Ingredients
Filling:

• 1 portion of Honeysuckle Turkey Breast (I used about 2 cups of shredded turkey for the tamales) - there is plenty of turkey left! PLENTY!...So make another batch or another meal!
• 1 cup Cranberry sauce (your own recipe or a store bought one)

Masa:

• 2 cups Maseca
• 2 Cups Water
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt (you can use less)

Wraps:

• 1 package of corn husks
• Cooks/bakers twine, cut into 10" lengths (about 6)

Equipment:

• You will also need:
• Large bowl (for soaking corn husks)
• Large pot and steamer basket or a tamale pot (for cooking tamales)

Let's Get Cooking!
PREPARE THE CORN HUSKS:

• The NIGHT BEFORE (or at least a few hours prior, but I do it the night before), place the number of corn husks you need, plus a few additional ones in a large bowl and fill with warm water. Soaking the husks makes the soften up and more pliable.I place mine in a bowl and after filling it with water place another, heavier bowl on to keep the tamales covered and from floating to the top.

PREPARE THE TURKEY:
THIS TURKEY IS FROZEN, ALLOW 24 HOURS IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR THAWING.

• Cook your turkey however you feel comfortable and prefer. I needed about 5 hours of cook time for mine. I cooked mine in a slow cooker.
• Place turkey in slow cooker.
• Add 1 cup water.
• Drizzle about 2-3 Tablespoons of honey all over.
• Heavily sprinkle with Herbs de Provence
• Close lid, set on high...check on it at 4 hours. I cooked mine for 5 hours.

PREPARE THE MASA:
(You can do this a night or two prior as well)

• Mix 2 cups of Maseca, the garlic, cumin, and salt together.
• Add 2 cups of water
• Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Mix thoroughly.
• I use my stand mixer.
• When it is combined it looks like it will be crumbly...pinch some between your fingers to see if it feels like dough and sticks together. If so, form into a ball. If it is not moist enough, add a tablespoon of water at a time to get the correct consistency. If it is too wet, do the same with the Maseca. 

PREPARE THE FILLING:

• Stir your cranberry sauce.
• Shred your turkey with a fork (just hold a piece of the meat and drag the fork is a whisking motion over it to shred)

FILL THE TAMALE:

• The corn husks are wet, feel free to remove some excess water with a towel.
• I also assemble mine on a paper towel to keep my work surface from becoming wet.
• Set up your fillings in an orderly assembly line:

• Corn husks
• Masa
• Cranberry
• Turkey
• Twine

Step 1: Place the opened husk on the paper towel
Step 2: Add about 1/4 of Masa to the center, and "chop" it with the side of your hand to create a cavity.
Step 3: Place about 1 Tablespoon of cranberry sauce in the cavity.
Step 4: Place 2 Tablespoons +/- on top of the cranberry

WRAP THE TAMALE:
I won't lie...sometimes the husks break...and it can be messy...if a husks breaks, finish the wrap and then wrap another husk around it.

Step 1: Fold the bottom of the husk up.
Step 2: Fold the top of the husk down.
Step 3: Fold one side in.
Step 4: fold the other side in
YOU WILL NEED TO USE BOTH HANDS WHILE DOING THIS TO KEEP IT FROM UNFOLDING.
Step 5: place string under the tamale and tie in a bow or not.

COOK IT!

• I use a large pot with a steamer basket in it.
• Place the basket in the pot, and fill with water (so that you can see the water level or just above the basket.)

NOTE: YOU MAY HAVE TO CHECk WATER PERIODICALLY AND REFILL AS NECESSARY.

• Place tamales into the pot and place lid on pot.
• Turn heat on low/medium 
• Steam for approximately 60 minutes (again be sure to check in at intervals on the water level)

That's it...you are done and ready for a hearty and delicious meal!

After cooking, I often freeze half of the tamales for school lunches and snacks!

For more great deals and amazing tips and recipes, stay in touch with Save Mart Supermarkets  on twitter, on Facebook, and on Pinterest

 If you are at all interested in making tamales...don't be afraid!

It is (kind of) easy!

Ask me if you have any questions!

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre   I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.