A roasted chicken can be transformed into croquettes or a cold salad; canned beans can be turned into a stew with pumpkin. A sofrito and some adjustments in the preparation allow for bringing Cuban flavors to the table using already cooked foods, preserves, and an electric pot.
These five recipes from explain how to do it with specific quantities and steps. There are alternatives to make use of supermarket chicken, cook with canned corn, and prepare rice in a pressure cooker. Each proposal has its own cooking, cooling, or resting times.
1. Cuban croquettes to make use of leftover roasted chicken
Cuban are made from cooked, boneless, and skinless meat, which can come from a homemade roast or the ready-to-cook chicken sold at the supermarket. The mixture is bound with chicken broth, flour, and butter, and is complemented with onion, garlic, and a fine breading.
The recipe yields 24 medium croquettes. The chicken is finely chopped to distribute it throughout the mixture, achieving a creamy interior that can be shaped once it is cold.
It is advisable to prepare the dough in advance: it needs to spend at least three hours in the refrigerator before shaping the croquettes. Considering preparation, cooking, and resting times, the total time is estimated to be around five hours and fifteen minutes. A practical way to organize is to make the dough the day before and leave the breading and frying for the next day while ensuring the proper storage of the chicken used.
2. Cold chicken salad with apple
The also makes use of pre-cooked chicken, this time cold. It combines it with diced apple, celery, and red onion, all bound together with a dressing of mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon. It's a pasta-free version, offering a contrast between the tender chicken and the crunchy vegetables.
Its preparation takes about 20 minutes, plus 30 for chilling. These 50 minutes start with chicken that is already cooked and cold; if it's cooked from raw, you need to add the cooking and cooling time.
It can be served on lettuce leaves or used to fill Cuban bread bites. If prepared with leftover chicken, it's important to also consider how long it was stored in the refrigerator: turning it into a salad does not reset its shelf life.
3. Canned red beans with squash and sofrito
The allows you to prepare a stew without soaking or softening the dry beans beforehand. The canned beans provide the already cooked beans, and the sofrito adds the flavor of homemade preparation.
Order matters: first, the sofrito is made and the pumpkin is cooked; the drained and rinsed beans are added afterward to heat through and absorb the flavor without falling apart. The pumpkin and a small portion of the mashed beans help to thicken the broth.
The recipe calls for 500 grams of drained beans, an amount that should be verified on the label or with a scale, because the net weight of the can includes liquid. It recommends simple canned goods, to which seasoning is added during preparation.
This version includes vegetable broth and does not contain meat. Allow about 55 minutes in total and it can be served with white rice.
4. Rice with chicken in chorrera style in an electric pot
The adapts the creamy dish of Cuban cuisine to a 6 qt Instant Pot Duo, approximately 5.7 liters. The preparation is organized in phases to control the cooking of the chicken and the texture of the rice.
First, cook the chicken completely with the pot open and set it aside. Next, prepare the rice with sofrito and pressure broth. With the pot now open and without pressure, add the chicken, tomato sauce, and petit pois, and add hot broth until achieving a juicy finish.
The total estimated time is 90 minutes, including preparations and the various cooking phases. The brief pressure cooking program is just one part of the process.
If another electric pot is used, it is necessary to consult its manual and adjust the method according to its programs and liquid requirements. The sheet is calculated for that specific model.
5. Tamale in a casserole with canned corn
The offers an alternative when fresh corn is not available. It is made with sweet corn kernels, pork, and a sauté of onion, garlic, chili, and tomato, and is served creamy, with a spoon.
Corn is drained before being crushed. Since canned corn is already cooked and thickens differently, the recipe includes a small amount of fine, uncooked yellow cornmeal. Cornstarch and precooked flour for arepas are not direct substitutes for these amounts.
The preparation takes about 70 minutes. To purchase the ingredients, you need to gather between 700 and 750 grams of drained corn and choose sweet corn kernels, preferably without added sugar. The recipe is designed with that product, not canned cream corn.
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