Crockpot Tamales

Step 1: If you're going to use the rotisserie chicken, combine the meat with the onion, garlic, can of green chilies, cumin, salt, and drained corn in a 4 quart (or so) crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6. The onions need to be translucent before going into the tamales. Set aside.

Step 2: Soften the corn husks by soaking them in warm water until they are quite pliable.

Step 3: To make the masa, combine all dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium-to-high speed until everything is mixed well and the dough is spongy. Check the dough by dropping a little ball of it into a glass of water. It should float. If it doesn't float, this source says to continue to beat the dough.

Step 4: Take a bit larger than a golf-ball size piece of masa dough, and spread it into a wet corn husk. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick--you do not want to see the corn husk through the dough. Add a bit of filling, and some cheese. Fold the corn husk over to join the edges of the masa. If you need to add more dough, do so---no filling should peek through. Fold all corn husk edges into the center and place into the bottom of an empty crockpot, seam side down or you can do it the more traditional way and just stand them up side by side with the one end folded over that you put at the bottom and fill the pot up.

Step 5: If you find that your corn husks are unraveling, you can add another the other way to secure it, and tear off a long piece to tie around. If you need to step away from the tamale-making-process for a bit, put the lid on your crockpot to keep moisture inside.

Step 6: When the crockpot is full, put the lid on and cook on high for 4-6 hours till done. unplug the crockpot and keep the lid off. Let set for about 15 minutes.