Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the ground beef and drain off the fat.

Add taco seasoning to the meat and sauté 1-2 minutes, then add liquid reserved from canned corn and simmer 5-7 minutes more. Set aside. 

Slice each tamale into 6 rings and arrange the disks flat on the bottom of a 9 X 13 Pyrex (or casserole) dish. 

Cover the tamales evenly with the canned corn.

Layer the cooked seasoned meat on top of the corn, (be sure to add all the meat liquid to keep casserole moist)

Layer the grated cheese on top of the beef, ending up with four layers. (At this point the casserole can be covered with aluminum foil and refrigerated for several days, (or frozen for 3 months) before baking).
 
Bake covered with foil  @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.  

*To add a little heat, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to beef or dice one jalapeno pepper and mix with corn. 

*If you like black olives, you can also include a small can of sliced to the top of the casserole before cutting/serving.

*Can be topped with sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa.  

This is a recipe from a local caterer from Pasadena, CA from the 1950's.  Casseroles were king back then to help working families get dinner on the table quickly and affordably.  I have made this recipe countless times, shared it with every good friend I have, and brought it to pot lucks and to friends who have just had a baby or some other life event where having a warm meal is welcome.

As with a lot of casseroles, this holds up well as leftovers the next day.