What can you do with a cactus?This is a prickly pear cactus casserole. It's delicious and certainly a favorite with the Mexican-American Border cuisine scene. Cuisine-scene, I like that. Nopales can be found pre-cooked so you won't have to go to all the trouble of carefully trimming the prickly spines and cooking the paddles, as they're called. In Spanish they are called or referred to as Tunas . Also, if you overcook them, they do tend to get slimy, you don't want that. Some people, like myself, love the occasional nopalitos dish but can't tolerate the sliminess. Otherwise the taste is unique. Who says you have to have Green Bean Casserole every Thanksgiving? If you would like to learn more about Nopales, go tho this Gourmet Sleuth site to read about them.
Nopalito Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 cups (2 jars) cooked nopalitos
¾ cup milk (to thin soup)
1 1/3 cups crushed chicharrones (fried pork skins)
Salt, pepper, paprika
Mix soup and milk in a 1½ quart casserole dish. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Stir in cooked nopalitos and 2/3 cup of crushed chicharrones. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes. Top with remaining chicharrones and continue baking for 5 more minutes. Serves 6.
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Mexican Word of the Day: Bishop
One day me and my vieja went to the movies and
She fell down and I had to pick the bish-op!
