Name: CASSAVA TWO WAYS – MASHED CASSAVA AND CASSAVA PIE
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 24 oz frozen cassava (yuca or manioc); 4 oz butter (1 stick, good quality, room temperature); ¼ onion; 3 cloves garlic; Pimento pepper; 1 scallion (chopped); 1 teaspoon thyme leaves; Hot pepper (optional); 1 can evaporated milk; 1 tsp green seasoning; 1 lb cheddar cheese

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Here is a cassava pie, mashed cassava aka side dish inspired by a bag of frozen yucca I had in my freezer. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, we stocked up on frozen meats, seafood, mixed veggies, pigeon peas, fruits, cassava and lots of ice cream. I also have tons of canned foods in what I refer to as my pandemic pantry, so many of the recipes I make in the next couple of months will be inspired by these ingredients.

Recently I made curry stew pork with pigeon peas to use up some of the pork and pigeon peas. For our side dish I made a fried rice, corn pie (to use the canned corn) and this cassava pie. I literally created this recipe as I went along. Even while I was boiling the cassava I had no idea how the recipe would turn out. As you can see, it’s a hit!

A little bit of this and that and a lot of cheese later, I created an indulgent, rich, savory and creamy pie.

After I shared the video of our meal prep on You tube, folks commented on how they’ve never heard of cassava pie.

Cassava is also called yuca or manioc in the Caribbean. It is a root vegetable that’s used to make many savory dishes including boil and fry cassava, soup or oil down. Pie in the Caribbean is mostly likely not a sweet pie like apple or pumpkin pie – pie is anything baked in the oven with cheese or without cheese, as in my corn pie recipe which I shared recently or our famous macaroni pie.

This recipe can be made simply as a mashed cassava (think mashed potato) with no cream. In the second level, milk can be added for a creamy mash, and in the third level, cheese is mixed in and also used to top the pie before baking. Decide which version you like and go from there! The choice is all yours.

CASSAVA TWO WAYS – MASHED CASSAVA AND CASSAVA PIE

Serves 8-10 as a side dish

24 oz frozen cassava (yuca or manioc)
1 stick butter (good quality), room temperature
¼ onion
3 cloves garlic
Pimento pepper
1 scallion, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Hot pepper, optional
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp green seasoning, optional
1 lb cheddar cheese

In a mini food processor or mortar and pestle, mince onion, garlic and pimento/hot pepper.

In a medium saucepan, add cassava and enough water to completely submerge. Add 2 tsp salt. Place over medium flame, bring to a boil and cook until fork tender but still firm. Pour into a colander to drain.

Remove tough stem from the middle of the cassava and place in a potato ricer to mash. Alternately, you can mash with a fork. Repeat with the remaining cassava.

Immediately add butter and whisk or mash to combine.

Add minced garlic, onion and pepper (hot and pimento if using).

Add chopped scallion and 1 tsp thyme leaves. Continue to mash together to combine.

You can enjoy like this, if you want more we can move on to level 2.

Add evaporated milk and whisk to make it fluffy and light.

You can enjoy like this, if you want more we can move on to level 3.

Mix in ½ of the grated cheese, 1 tsp of green seasoning. Pour into a baking dish, top with cheese.

Place into the pre-heated oven and bake until it golden brown, about 30 mins.

Enjoy,

Cooking with Love,

Ria