This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Knorr®. The opinions and text are all mine.
Give your weeknight dinner a Latin twist and make this delicious Baked Yuca Pie filled with shredded chicken and topped with lots of cheese.
Cheesy Baked Yuca Pie (Pastelon de Yuca)
Who doesn’t love comfort food?
This one is the Latino version of a shepherd’s pie.
There’s a layer of cheesy yuca puree in the bottom, then a layer of shredded chicken topped with more yuca, all baked into one delicious casserole. To me, it’s heaven on a plate.
Now that the girls are back in school, I am slowly easing back into a normal routine. I finally have time to work, take care of the house, and cook delicious weeknight meals for my family.
This baked yuca pie is always a hit in my house. As soon as they come home, the delicious smell from the oven draws them in. I don’t know if it’s the cheese, the chicken, or the yuca itself, but the combination is terrific.
Growing up in Venezuela, we replaced potatoes with yuca in many of our dishes. We fry them just like french fries, but they can also be baked, mashed, or even steamed with a little parsley and garlic.
Yuca has a softer and silkier texture than potatoes and the flavor is milder so they can be adapted into any dish. You can find them in the produce aisle or peeled and cut in the frozen section at Publix.
I usually buy them frozen and boil them with lots of salty water to save some prep time.
For the shredded chicken, aka guiso de pollo, I started by poaching my chicken in some water seasoned to give it a nice flavor. I love how I can use Knorr Chicken Bouillon to enhance any of my recipes, not just soups and stews!
Baked Yuca Pie
Ingredients
For Chicken
- 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
- 4 cups Water
- 4 teaspoons Chicken Bouillon
- 1/2 Red Pepper chopped
- 1/2 Green Pepper chopped
- 1 Onion chopped
- 15 oz Tomato Sauce canned
- 2 teaspoons Yellow Mustard
- 2 teaspoons Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
- Salt + Pepper to taste
For Yuca Puree
- 2 lbs Frozen Yuca
- 1/4 cup Milk more if needed
- 2 tablespoons Salted Butter
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- Salt + Pepper to taste
Instructions
For Chicken
- Place a big pot of water to a boil. Add the Knorr® Chicken Bouillon and mix
- Place the chicken and boil it for 20 minutes or until completely cooked
- Remove from water, cool, and shred. Save the chicken stock
- In a large pan, place oil on medium heat
- Add the onions and peppers. Sautee 4-5 minutes or until softened
- Add the chicken, tomato juice, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce and 1 cup of the chicken stock made earlier
- Cook for 10 minutes. Check for seasoning and add more salt if needed
For Yuca Puree
- Boil yuca in salted water until fork-tender. About 15 minutes
- Drain the water and remove the center vein from the yuca
- Using a potato ricer or food processor, grind the yuca until pureed
- Add the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese. Mix until combined
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Grease the bottom and sides of a casserole dish
- Add half of the yuca puree on the bottom of the dish
- Spread the chicken on top
- Finally, add the remaining yuca puree. Top with parmesan cheese
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops have browned
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Latin Shortcrust Chicken Pie
Absolutely into your twist 🙂 Thank you so much and enjoy your week 🙂