I love tamales, but my husband loathes most Mexican food. Hence, we never, and I mean never, go out to Mexican restaurants. I have to rely strictly on chance meetings with these petite masa burritos.  Luckily, just such a rendezvous happened just the other day.

My husband had an immense fast food craving for an establishment that I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to eat at. So while he went for take-out, I took advantage of the break from cooking, and pulled the new Amy’s Roasted Vegetables Tamale Whole Meal from the freezer.

While it cooked (just 5 minutes!) I read the package to discover that the entire package contained just 280 calories. I knew I would need at least a bit more to satiate, so I diced half an avocado and sprinkled it atop the beans once ready. I was pleasantly surprised with how the tamale turned out. Sans good lighting, it looked just like the package … but the black beans, not so much. I went with the “looks aren’t everything” theory and dove in.

The tamale was generously sized with a thick layer of masa that was surprisingly light and fluffy. Overall, the tamale was tame, as far as Mexican food goes. There was a light spicy kick that added interest and flavor, but in no way threatened to send me running for water. The filling was unlike any other I have tried. It was definitely Cal-Mex-style with sizable chunks of veggies throughout. Honestly, this tamale tasted “fresher” than most.

The black beans were done in a refried-style, but the overall texture was good. They were good filler for the entree, but lacked pizzazz.  Next time I would stir in a little cumin, chili powder, and a quick dash of salt to amp up the flavor … or in a pinch just a sprinkle of hot sauce should do.

For a fast and frozen entrée, Amy’s still doesn’t disappoint. While I favor their Italian meals, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up this Tamale meal again, as it has lots of potential, and I would like to try the Tamale Verde meal, which is also dairy-free. I think my only recommendations for improvement with this dinner would be jazzing up those beans, adding just a wee bit more of that tamale red sauce, and making a “Hungry Man” version with two of those tasty tamales, for those of us with voracious appetites.

In terms of ingredients, Amy’s Tamale – Roasted Vegetables Frozen Dinner is Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, non-GMO, and made with organic ingredients. If you have severe allergies, keep in mind that cross-contamination is a possibility in Amy’s Kitchen. Contact them directly where concerned.

Amy's frozen dinners can be found in the freezer section of natural food stores and at many major grocers, though sometimes they may be tucked away in a special natural food freezer.

This is a third party review by Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide & Cookbook.  For more information on this product, or to contact the company, visit the Amy's Kitchen website.

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