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Brazilian

Escondidinho de carne moída

Non-vegetarian

A savoury beef filling 'hidden' under a creamy mash of cassava and cream cheese, topped with cheese and baked until bubbling — Brazilian comfort food from the Northeast.

Escondidinho de carne moída is a Brazilian main course, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with cassava and ground beef. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h
Rest
10 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
687

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the cassava (opens in a new tab) in salted water until very tender and starting to split, 25–30 minutes. Drain and remove any fibrous strings.

    Food safety: Cassava must always be cooked thoroughly; never eat it raw.

  2. Step 2

    Mash the hot cassava (opens in a new tab) with the butter (opens in a new tab), milk (opens in a new tab), cream cheese (opens in a new tab) and 1 tsp salt to a smooth, creamy purée.

    • 5 min
    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile brown the beef in the oil, then add the onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab), then the tomato (opens in a new tab), remaining salt and pepper (opens in a new tab), and cook until saucy but not wet. Stir in the spring onion (opens in a new tab).

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Spread half the mash in a baking dish (opens in a new tab), add the beef, then cover with the rest of the mash. Scatter over both cheeses.

  5. Step 5

    Bake at 200 °C until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

About this dish

Origin
Northeast Brazil, Brazil · Commonly attributedThe classic Northeastern version uses carne de sol or carne seca (salted dried beef); minced beef is a common home shortcut.More food from Brazil
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Casseroles & bakes
Cooking method
Boiled, Sautéed, Oven-baked
Taste
creamy, savoury, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly · Meal-prep friendly
Cook more with
Cassava · Ground beef · Butter · Milk · Cream cheese · Onion
Techniques
Baking · Sautéing · Boiling

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter, milk, cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

687 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 396 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 41%
  • Fat 43%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy687 kcal174 kcal
Protein26.7 g6.7 g
Carbohydrate70.8 g17.9 g
Net carbohydrate66.7 g16.9 g
Sugars6.8 g1.7 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.1 g1 g
Fat33 g8.3 g
Saturated fat15.9 g4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol110 mg28 mg
Sodium928 mg234 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
927 mg
Calcium
264 mg
Iron
2.7 mg
Magnesium
69 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
181 µg
Vitamin C
43 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
2.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
69 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Frozen peeled cassava works well and saves the peeling.

Serve with

  • Serve with a green salad or white rice.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Reheating

  • Cover with foil and reheat at 180 °C for 25 minutes.

Variations

  • Escondidinho de carne seca (Brazil): With shredded, desalted dried beef and requeijão — the Northeastern classic.
  • Escondidinho de frango (Brazil): With shredded chicken.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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