Home Entertaining Recipepalooza: We asked some of our favorite bloggers to share a recipe and their tips for home entertaining. This recipe comes from Vianney Rodrigue, editor of the blog, Sweet Life Bake. Vianney was happily raised in Texas by Mexican parents. Her blog name Sweet Life refers to living a Sweet Life enriched with the spice of two diverse worlds enveloped with the memories of growing up in a Mexican household. Her love and cultural ties to Mexico with the appreciation of being raised in Texas combine to create original recipes featured on Sweet Life.

Tillamook Cheesy Beef Tamale Pie

Overview
In the 1800’s Texans were introduced to Tamales. It was love at first bite! Preparing tamales at home can be time consuming, so to cut down on time Texas home cooks created the Tamale pie. A tasty tamale baked in the oven. Easy prep and loaded with flavor this tamale pie will satisfy even your hungriest Texan!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield (number of servings):  6-8

Ingredients
Filling:
2 tablespoons Tillamook Salted Butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded Tillamook Sharp Cheddar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Tamale Topping:
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup masa harina
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shredded Tillamook Sharp Cheddar
1 cup Tillamook Sour Cream

Preparation
Begin by heating oven to 425°F. Butter a 9×12 inch casserole dish and then heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, and cumin. Cook all, stirring frequently until ground beef is fully browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and drain any excess fat.

Now add tomatoes, corn and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar. Taste for seasoning and spoon filling into casserole dish. Whisk together eggs and milk in a medium bowl; whisk in cornmeal, masa harina and baking powder. Pour topping evenly over beef mixture and sprinkle with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes, or until top feels firm when lightly touched. Serve and garnish with Tillamook Sour Cream.

This recipe can easily be adapted to suit your family’s taste. Try chicken instead of beef or ground beef mixed with ground pork or turkey. Add a kick with roasted chiles or make it vegetarian by adding beans instead of beef.

About Vianney:
Tips for stress-free home entertaining:
“My Tillamook secret to making entertaining fun, stress free and yummy is serving ‘Family Style’. Serving up platters, dishes and steamy bowls of wonderful comida evoke dinners at home and dinner guests will feel at home in your home and that’s what it’s all about.

Kitchen advice:
“My kitchen advice when preparing for a dinner party or family gathering is to prep as much as you can in advance. Have a solid shopping list ready and shop a few days prior to the party. Pre-chop your vegetables, bake your dessert and set your table. Don’t forget about the kiddos; set up a kids table and have a small activity at the table for them to complete while they wait for their food. Keep the menu simple and relax.”

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Home Entertaining Recipepalooza: We asked some of our favorite bloggers to share a recipe and their tips for home entertaining. This recipe comes from Megan Myers, copyeditor and spatula-wielding mom seeking out the simpler life in Texas. Her blog, Stetted, focuses on her family’s experience of cooking from scratch while exploring the many options farmers provide.

Tillamook Jack Biscuit Bites Recipe

Overview
These bite-size biscuit sandwiches have a kick from Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, and they come together quickly for any last-minute appetizer plate. I love this recipe because you can put whatever you want inside the biscuits, from leftovers to cold cuts. That way you can just use what you have in your fridge instead of needing to run out to the store for more ingredients! Plus, the Tillamook Pepper Jack adds a nice kick to the flaky biscuit bites.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield (number of servings): about 28

Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
2 ounces Tillamook Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese
⅔ cup whole milk
4-5 slices of leftover roast beef, cooked chicken breast, or more Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, quartered

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cut butter into flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in shredded cheese!

Add milk a little bit at a time and mix carefully. You don’t want the dough to be too wet! Stir until the dough holds together, and then dump out onto a flour-covered surface.

Pat dough into a large circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out biscuits using a 1/2-inch round cutter and place biscuits on prepared baking sheet. Re-form dough scraps and cut biscuits until all dough is used.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool until easy to handle, then split biscuits and add a piece of desired filling, then sandwich and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all biscuits are stuffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

About Megan
Tips for stress-free home entertaining:
“My secret to keeping home entertaining fun and stress free is to not take on more than you can handle. Shortcuts like making food in advance and serving less food overall will not only reduce your stress load, but will make the event more fun. Who wants to be cooped up in the kitchen during a party?!”

Kitchen advice for other moms and dads:
“In our house we let our son be involved in the party setup. He’s young, but he can fold napkins, arrange fruit, and slice cheese. He loves feeling like he is a grownup by being included, and we love the extra help!”

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By Tillamook