Yuca Pie

This is a take on alcapurrias or empanadas de yuca, yuca and meat fritters. This is a little easier than making and cooking individually stuffed yuca patties, but just as tasty. I included a recipe for sofrito, but you could use store bought if you're in a hurry. This sofirto will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or freeze for longer.

• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 313 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ½ pound ground beef
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
• 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 12 aji dulce peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• ½ cup Spanish olives
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and dried
• 1 Cubanelle pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce, or to taste
• 1 (1.41 ounce) package sazon seasoning with achiote, or to taste, divided
• 2 pounds yuca, peeled and grated

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Step 2

Place aji dulces peppers, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, olives, cilantro, Cubanelle pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, capers, 1 tablespoon black pepper, and oregano in a blender. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate sofrito until ready to use.

Step 3

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 tablespoons sofrito until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and 1/2 the sazon; cook and stir until incorporated, about 3 minutes. Add beef, Cook and stir the picadillo (meat mixture) until flavors combine, about 25 minutes.

Step 4

Rinse the grated yuca in a colander; press yuca to squeeze out most of the moisture. Place in a bowl; add the remaining sazon, egg, and chicken broth. Mix well. Season the masa (dough) with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch baking pan.

Step 6

Spoon 1/2 of the yuca masa into the prepared pan in an even layer. Top with the picadillo; spread to 1/4 inch from the edges. Spread the remaining masa smoothly on top. Cover with aluminum foil.