Picadillo Potato Casser-Ole

Potato cubes are layered in a baking dish with smoked sausage mixture with tomatoes, raisins, olives & spices, and topped with Mexican-blend cheeses.

Ingredients:

• 8 medium red potatoes (2 1/2 to 3 lbs)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1 lb cooked smoked chorizo sausage or other smoked sausage, finely chopped
• 1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp golden raisins
• 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Boil potatoes until just tender. Cool until they can be handled easily. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, for the picadillo meat mixture, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet and saute onion, garlic and jalapeno over moderately low heat. Stir until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add sausage; saute mixture over moderate heat for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, raisins, olives, cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 7-10 minutes or until it is thickened. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish or pan with nonstick spray. Cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes; place about half of the potatoes in prepared pan. Top with about half of the picadillo meat mixture. Layer remainder of potatoes over, followed by remainder of picadillo mixture. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes until mixture is hot and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. May be served hot or cooled.

Number of Servings: 6-8 servings