Pastelón de Yuca Recipe (Cassava and Chicken Casserole) is a one-dish meal that is worth trying if you find yourself in possession of some yuca (cassava).
Why we ❤️ it
We Dominicans love our pastelones. And while this isn't the most popular one (that title goes to Pastelón de Plátano Maduro), nobody is going to turn down this Pastelón de Yuca.
The most popular filling for pastelones (Dominican casserole dishes) is our minced beef filling, but I find that it overwhelms the delicate, buttery flavor of yuca, so my go-to choice is this creamy chicken filling.
About this recipe
This is the odd recipe that, while not strictly traditional, a Dominican won't bat an eye if served this dish. The creamy, oniony chicken filling is perfect for this dish. And of course, there has to be cheese, so I was very generous with the cheese, and in this case I used mozzarella layered between yuca and meat, and added some parmesan to the chicken to elevate its flavor.
This is a sure hit in my family, and I'd love to hear if you have a preferred combination for your Pastelón de Yuca.
Recipe
Pastelón de Yuca [+ Video] (Cassava and Chicken Casserole)
Ingredients
- 1½ pound yuca (cassava), , peeled and washed
- ½ cup milk (whole or skim)
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
For the filling
- Creamy chicken filling, (see notes for recipe with video)
To assemble
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted)
- 2 cups of grated mozzarella
Instructions
Boiling yuca: Cut the cassava into small pieces and boil until it is cooked through, after adding salt to the water. Remove from the water and discard the water.- Combining: Mix yuca with milk, butter, and egg, then mash until it becomes a soft puree (if you have a potato ricer [Amazon affiliate link] use it to obtain a smoother puree). Set the cassava puree aside.
- Assembling: Grease a mid-sized baking pan 8 x 8 inches [20 x 20 cm] with the butter. Spread half of the mashed yuca, smoothing it out to obtain a level layer. Top with half the mozzarella, follow with the chicken filling, spreading into a level layer. op with the remaining mashed yuca. Spread and smooth it. Sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella.
- Cooking: Bake in preheated oven at 300 ºF [160 ºC] for 35 minutes, or until the cheese in the edge turns golden brown.
- Serving: Remove from the oven and serve hot, best accompanied with a salad.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
I'm dying to make this. I too have the frozen yucca rallada (2lbs) and would like to use it however I'm not sure what to do with it. Do I take it from frozen and boil it until soft or do I defrost it first? Also, in place of the… Read more »
I can’t find decent yuca where I live in the states and so I made this using frozen yucca (which was amazingly good!) And it turned out great! I used ground turkey also. Just because that’s what I had. Winning recipe! My family loved it and so did my not… Read more »
Hey Aunt Clara,
I was just wondering, when you say 4 chicken breast, do you mean the ones on the thin side or the heftier ones? Thank you