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Pastelón de Arroz (Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole)
Pastelón de Arroz (Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole) is a traditional Dominican (from the Dominican Republic) recipe for a classic dish of cooked rice blended with a béchamel sauce baked with a minced beef filling. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Dominican Republic version of: Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole (Pastelón de Arroz).
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
70 minutes
Total Time:
90 minutes
Serves:
6
Rating: 
Tags : Beef RecipesMilk RecipesCheese RecipesBaking RecipesDominican-republic Recipes
A pastelón is a dish of meat (typically beef) mixture sandwiched between a carbohydrate staple (rice in this example) that's oven baked to cook.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp salted butter, (salted) plus extra to grease pan
1½ tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
500ml evaporated milk, or whole milk
175g grated mozzarella, (divided)
1.2kg cooked white rice, (arroz blanco) weighed after cooking
235g minced spinach, blanched if fresh, thawed if frozen
1 batch
beef picadillo (for the filling)
500ml
tomato sauce, warm, leave unblended (chunky), and season with salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Place a frying pan over low heat. Add the butter and when melted add the flour and stir vigorously until you have a smooth and the flour has turned slightly translucent.
Whilst whisking or stirring vigorously slowly add the milk, beating until smooth. At this point add in half the cheese and cook, stirring all the while, until the béchamel mixture thickens. Take off the heat and set aside.
Grease a baking tin and pre-heat your oven to 175ºC. At this point, mix half the cheese sauce and the spinach. Mix the other half of the rice with the remaining cheese sauce.
Layer the rice mixed with the white sauce in the base of the pan. Press down firmly then cover with the beef picadillo then top with the rice mixed with spinach. Press down on the top to compact then scatter over the remaining cheese.
Transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake until the top starts browning.
Remove from the oven, cut into squares and serve with the tomato sauce on the side.
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