Cheesy Chicken and Plantain Casserole

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:

http://www.bitchincamero.com/mel/2009/07/cheesy-chicken-plantain-casserole/comment-page-1/#comment-31072

Cuban Black Beans and Rice - Authentic Recipe

Ran across this delicious black beans and rice meal a few months ago and had to share the website for all you Cuban food lovers who might want to give them a try. They are easy to prepare - just open a few cans of beans, mix in a jar of sauteed seasoning mix (sofrito) and heat through. Serve over steamed white rice for an authentic tasting Cuban staple without all of the hassle. The website is www.oldhavanafoods.com/frijolesnegros.html

My family makes homemade black beans and rice for every holiday meal - it takes hours to soak the beans, slow cook them, make the sauteed seasoning mix (sofrito) and then cook them together again for hours while all of the flavors meld. With these Old Havana Foods products we can enjoy black beans and rice on any night in just a few minutes.

I think their sofrito might be able to be used in other Cuban dishes like Arroz con Pollo, Picadillo or Seafood Paella. When I get a chance to try the sofrito in a few recipes I'll report back.