Dominican Casabe Lasagna with Sofrito Chicken, Roasted Eggplant, and Fried Cheese

Dominican Food

Intermediate

Dominican Casabe Lasagna with Sofrito Chicken, Roasted Eggplant, and Fried Cheese

Name: Dominican Casabe Lasagna with Sofrito Chicken, Roasted Eggplant, and Fried Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: dominicana
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast; 12.7 oz cassava flatbread; 1.1 lb eggplant; 9 oz Dominican frying cheese; 14 oz crushed tomato; 2 cups chicken broth; 1 cup red onion; 3/4 cup sweet peppers; 6 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 cup sour orange juice; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro; 1 3/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp butter

An original recipe inspired by Dominican flavors: layers of cassava flatbread softened with broth, sofrito-braised chicken, roasted eggplant, golden fried cheese, and a light tomato-oregano sauce. Baked until juicy inside and golden on top.

30 minPrep

45 minCook

75 minTotal

6Servings

Gluten-FreeHigh Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

700 g boneless skinless chicken breast (cut diced small)
360 g cassava flatbread (en 3 a 4 discos large or pieces for formar capas)
500 g eggplant (cut thinly sliced finas)
250 g Dominican frying cheese (cut thinly sliced delgadas)
400 g crushed tomato (enlatado or casero)
500 ml chicken broth (divided, for guisar and suavizar the casabe)
150 g red onion (chopped en cubitos)
90 g sweet peppers (chopped finely)
18 g garlic (majado or chopped)
30 g tomato paste
45 ml olive oil (divided)
4 g dried oregano (divided)
60 ml sour orange juice (or mezcla of lemon and orange)
15 g fresh cilantro (chopped)
10 g salt (or to taste)
2 g black pepper (or to taste)
15 g butter (for engrasar the fuente and enriquecer the sauce)

Nutrition facts

per serving

435 kcal

Calories

34 g

Protein

24 g

Carbs

22 g

Fat

4 g

Fiber

20 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

Dairy

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 425 °F / 220 °C. Brush a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the eggplant slices. Season with 1/4 of the salt, a little black pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Roast for 18 to 20 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and lightly golden.
2
While the eggplant roasts, season the chicken with the sour orange juice, half of the garlic, 1/4 of the salt, a little black pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
3
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the frying cheese for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to a plate.
4
In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the red onion, sweet peppers, and the rest of the garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
5
Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until it loses its raw pink color. Add the crushed tomato, 250 ml / 1 cup chicken broth, the remaining salt, the butter, and a little more black pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until you have a thick stew-like filling. Stir in the fresh cilantro and adjust seasoning.
6
Pour the remaining 250 ml / 1 cup chicken broth into a wide shallow dish. Dip each piece of cassava flatbread briefly into the broth, just a few seconds, to soften it without making it fall apart.
7
Lower the oven temperature to 375 °F / 190 °C. Lightly grease a baking dish with a little chicken sauce or a few drops of oil. Arrange a layer of softened cassava flatbread, then a layer of saucy chicken, a layer of roasted eggplant, and some of the browned frying cheese. Repeat the layers until everything is used, finishing with a little sauce on top.
8
Bake the lasagna for 18 to 22 minutes at 375 °F / 190 °C, until bubbling and well set. If you want more color on top, switch to broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
9
Let rest for 8 minutes before slicing so the layers can settle. Serve hot.

Chef tips

If your cassava flatbread is very thin, use double layers for better texture. You can also roast the eggplant ahead of time to speed up assembly.

Substitutions

You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of breast. If you cannot find sour orange, use half orange juice and half lime or lemon juice. Frying cheese can be replaced with halloumi if cooking outside the Dominican Republic.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
View on Amazon
Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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