Found an interesting recipe the other day for a Cheesy Chicken and Plantain Casserole on Saveur's e-mail newsletter. Being tired of eating ripe plantains the same old way (sliced and sauteed) this new recipe seemed like a nice change of pace. However reading through the recipe it seemed that making a sofrito (the sauteed seasoning mix of onions, peppers, garlic, olive oil, tomato and spices) from scratch was a lot of work when one was in a hurry and already using a store bought rotisserie chicken. So we tried the recipe using prepared sofrito from http://www.oldhavanafoods.com/ and it worked like a charm.
Here's our adaptation of the recipe and a picture from the original blogger's posting on Bitchin'Camero.
Cheesy Chicken & Plantain Casserole
3 ripe plantains (half yellow, half black skin when ripe) or 3 boxes of frozen Goya Ripe Plantains (11 oz each)
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded into large bite size pieces
24 oz jar Old Havana Sofrito
1/2 cup chicken stock (or water)
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel and chop the plantains into ½ inch pieces and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until they are cooked through and beginning to brown. Remove from oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
While the plantains are baking, combine shredded chicken with the Old Havana Sofrito and ½ cup water in a non-stick skillet. Bring to a simmer. Sauté for about 5 minutes to heat through thoroughly, then remove from heat.
Grease a deep baking dish, place ½ the plantains at the bottom in one layer. Place half the chicken and sofrito mixture on top of the plantains and spread out into an even layer. Add ½ the cheese in an even layer. Then repeat with the remaining plantains, chicken mixture and top off with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F. Cover dish with foil half way through to retain moisture. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 7 to10 minutes so that juices are rehydrated into chicken and plantains.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
To see the original post and recipe from which this was adapted go to Bitchin'Camero:
Yummy recipe! Nice and easy alternative to the usual Cuban fare we know and love. It is comfort food without the work; perfect for a busy mid-week meal and a delicious reminder of our tropical island cuisine. ¡Buen provecho!
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious...following u.
ReplyDeleteoh that looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love plaintains and make them often but, I have never done anything different other than sauteing them in oil. This is a great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYum,just reading the recipe makes my mouth water! Thanks for sharing this recipe.I cant wait to try it :)If you won't mind, I'd really love to guide foodista readers to your site. Just add your choice of Foodista widget at the end of this blog post and you're all set. Thanks!
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