Chilean Rustic Wheat Berry and Merkén Mushroom Bake with Chanco Cheese Crust

Name: Chilean Rustic Wheat Berry and Merkén Mushroom Bake with Chanco Cheese Crust
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Chilena
Ingredients: 10.6 oz cooked wheat berries; 14 oz mushrooms; 1 1/4 cups white onion; 4 cloves garlic; 4 cups spinach; 2 cups corn kernels; 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream; 6.3 oz Chanco cheese; 3/4 cup vegetable broth; 2 units eggs; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp merkén; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp fresh parsley

An original savory bake inspired by Chilean flavors, made with cooked wheat berries, browned mushrooms, onion, spinach, and a touch of merkén, topped with a creamy corn layer and gratinéed Chanco cheese. Comforting, flavorful, and perfect for a family meal.

25 minPrep

45 minCook

70 minTotal

6Servings

Vegetarian

Ingredients

Adjust servings

300 g g cooked wheat berries (well escurrido)
400 g g mushrooms (thinly sliced)
180 g g white onion (chopped diced small)
12 g g garlic (chopped fino)
120 g g spinach (fresh)
300 g g corn kernels (fresh or congelado)
200 ml ml heavy cream (for the capa superior)
180 g g Chanco cheese (grated or thinly sliced finas)
180 ml ml vegetable broth (low sodium)
2 units eggs (lightly batidos)
30 ml ml olive oil
4 g g merkén
2 g g dried oregano
1 g g ground cumin
6 g g salt (or to taste)
1 g g black pepper (freshly ground)
15 g g butter (for engrasar the fuente and dar sabor)
10 g g fresh parsley (chopped, for terminar)

Nutrition facts

per serving

377 kcal

Calories

16.2 g

Protein

27.8 g

Carbs

22.1 g

Fat

4.3 g

Fiber

23.5 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

GlutenDairyEggs

Instructions

1
1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. Grease a medium baking dish with the butter and set aside.
2
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3
3. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon of merkén. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms are browned and their liquid has evaporated.
4
4. Add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Stir in the cooked wheat berries and 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the vegetable broth. Mix well and cook 2 minutes more so the wheat berries absorb flavor.
5
5. Transfer the wheat berry, mushroom, and spinach mixture to the buttered baking dish, spreading it evenly.
6
6. In a blender or food processor, combine the corn kernels, heavy cream, eggs, remaining vegetable broth, the remaining teaspoon of merkén, and half of the Chanco cheese. Blend until creamy but still slightly textured.
7
7. Pour the corn mixture over the wheat berry and mushroom base. Top with the remaining Chanco cheese.
8
8. Bake at 200 °C / 400 °F for 30 minutes. Then raise the temperature to 220 °C / 425 °F and bake 5 minutes more, until the top is golden and bubbling.
9
9. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Finish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Chef tips

For deeper flavor, brown the mushrooms well without stirring them too much at first. If your corn is very sweet, an extra pinch of salt balances the bake nicely.

Substitutions

You can replace Chanco cheese with semi-firm mozzarella or a mild melting cheese. Spinach can be swapped for chopped Swiss chard, and the wheat berries can be replaced with a similar cooked whole wheat grain for a rustic texture.

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
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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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