A Review and a Recipe: Texas Tamale Company and “Angela’s Tasty Tex Mex Lasagna”

It is an exciting time for me and my blog, "The Southern Fried Bride". This week, I am so happy to bring you my very first product review! In my "A Review and a Recipe" posts, I will bring you a food product graciously provided to me by a food company to try, and I will share the highlights of using the product in my kitchen and a recipe I created with the product or products.

The Texas Tamale Company, according to their website, first began in the early 1980s when a West Houston couple made a name for themselves making fresh gourmet lard-free tamales and fresh salsa in their home kitchen. As word spread of the great taste of these fresh tamales, the demand for a lard-free tamale grew. Enough interest was generated so that the couple began selling from a street-side cart on the far west side of Houston. It did not take long to outgrow their home kitchen and Texas Tamale Company. “The Mexican Deli” was opened on Fountainview, just a few miles from Houston’s prestigious Galleria area. Commitment to quality and customer service soon made them a well-known Houston tradition. Their online store is open 24/7/365. I love that they offer a great selection of gluten-free food products. They can ship their perishable food items in the U.S. and U.S. Territories only and can ship all their non-perishable goods anywhere.

I was very excited when they sent me a box full of their wonderful food products to try out in my kitchen!

Each of the products they sent me I found to taste like a South of the Border flavor fiesta. My favorite is the "Cilantro Sauce De Julia". I found it so flavorful with a great combination of heat yet also a tangy quality. Their products are perfect for all kinds of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes such as tamales and enchiladas and also for using in other types of dishes, such as my recipe this week, a Tex-Mex lasagna. They are great as dips or adding to dip ingredients for wonderful spicy flavor.

Here is the dish I created using some of their wonderful products, “Angela’s Tasty Tex-Mex Lasagna”:

“Angela’s Tasty Tex-Mex Lasagna”

8 ounces lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup Texas Tamale Company Chipotle Pepper Sauce

1 cup Texas Tamale Company Cilantro Sauce De Julia

1 cup tomato sauce

1 pint light sour cream

1 package (8 ounce) shredded Mozzarella cheese (reduced fat Mozzarella works great)

1/2 cup shredded American cheese

Optional: 1/2 cup black olives, sliced and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Spray 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain well. Return beef mixture to skillet. Stir in Chipotle Pepper Sauce, Cilantro Sauce De Julia and tomato sauce. Add black olives, if desired. In baking pan, layer 1/3 of lasagna noodles, 1/3 of meat sauce and 1/3 of sour cream and 1/3 package of Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat layers twice. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with ½ cup American cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 8-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 6-8. Enjoy!

If you are interested in learning more about their products, you can find them on Facebook at Texas Tamale Company  , on their website at http://www.texastamale.com  or by calling 1-800-882-6253.

Disclaimer: I received four food products from the Texas Tamale Company for the purpose of my honest feedback. I was not financially compensated in any way for this review.