Traditional Puerto Rican potato casserole is a dish consisting of layers of mashed potatoes with a seasoned ground meat filling baked until golden. In this version, the potatoes are boiled twice and combined with boiled chayote to reduce potassium content, the filling is made with ground turkey and the recipe is kept low in sodium. This adaptation not only preserves the traditional flavor and texture but also is an alternative that can be incorporated into the renal diet.
Ingredients
Yield:
Yield
6 servings
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 small onion
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ¼ teaspoon salt (for filling)
- ¼ teaspoon ground annatto
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 large chayote (500 g raw or 4 cups chopped)
- 4 medium potatoes (500 g raw or 4 cups chopped)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (mash)
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
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Directions
Nutritional InformationPrep: 30 min, Cook: 45 min, Total: 1 hr 15 min
For the Filling:
- Dice the onions and bell pepper into small pieces.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions and bell peppers in about ¼ cup of water for 5-8 minutes until soft.
- Add the ground turkey and seasonings, except the garlic. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and turn off the heat. Set aside while preparing the mash.
For the Mash:
- Peel the chayote and potatoes. Cut into approximately 2” x 2” pieces.
- In a large pot, add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Using a strainer, drain the potatoes. In the same pot, add 8 more cups of water and bring to a boil again.
- Add the chayote and boiled potatoes. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the chayote is tender. You can use a fork to check if the chayote is soft.
- Using a strainer, drain the potatoes and chayote.
- Mash the potatoes and chayote with a fork or a masher. Add the butter and salt.
To Assemble the Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a baking dish, spread half of the potato and chayote mash.
- Add the ground turkey filling.
- Top with the remaining potato and chayote mash.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the cheddar cheese melts and becomes golden.
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into 6 equal pieces.
Substitutes:
- You can substitute the turkey with chicken, soy, or vegetables. Nutritional content will change.
- You can replace ground annatto with ground turmeric or paprika.
- You can use other salt-free herbs and spices to season the turkey filling.
310 calories
28 g carbohydrates
5.7 g fiber
0 g added sugars
17 g protein
16 g total fat
5.8 g saturated fat
227 mg sodium
588 mg potassium
92 mg calcium
219 mg phosphorus
