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Picadillo to Latinos is what sloppy Joe is to Americans. Picadillo is a quick go to ground beef recipe that's simple to make, full of flavor, sure to please, especially on busy weeknights for the whole family. Growing up in a Latino family meant one thing around dinner time. There was always rice being served. Seriously, even if my mother made lasagna there was a side of white rice.
Growing up, I remember seeing a neighbor eat white rice and eggs for breakfast, what she added to it shocked me. She added ketchup. I mean, there are heated discussions in every Latino household as to whether or not you should add ketchup or hot sauce to your food.
This had me thinking. Can I add ketchup to my food as an ingredient instead of a condiment? You tell me.
How To Make Sweet Cuban Picadillo in Less Than 30 Minutes
Not sure if you read my last post, but our rental has mold. So we moved out and temporarily into my parent's house. Which is a blessing for you since I'll be able to learn more from her and in turn show you more recipes! (Also, she really wants me to start recording recipes to put on Youtube. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing some videos!)
But one thing she instilled in me today is that it's vital to season your ground meat BEFORE it hits the pan. I mean, I've always added seasoning, once it browned. But nope, season it before it hits the heat. Pretend it's meatballs and get your hands dirty!
Shockingly, this recipe does not use sofrito. I know, I know, I love sofrito! Pero, mi gente, I assure you, the flavor is fully present. Especially when you add in some chopped onions and garlic, que rico. Do you buy your garlic by the bulb, jarred, or peeled? Just curious.
Once your ground beef is almost fully browned, you're going to add your onions and garlic and continue cooking your beef until the onions are translucent. Then you start adding in the rest of the ingredients. Remember to add in your French's Ketchup last, with a little bit of water to create a sauce.
Picadillo is known for its olives, be sure to use pimento stuffed green olives. For my twist, I added corn and ketchup. Say what? Mira mi gente, don't get mad at me. It's okay to switch things up. I promise ketchup is the secret!
I choose to use French's ketchup because French's Ketchup uses real ingredients, and that's important to me as a mother on a mission to providing healthier meals for my family. My husband and my second daughter are addicted to ketchup. I mean, they slather it on like it's nobody's business. I feel assured when I see that they use French's Ketchup that is free of GMO's, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors/flavors.
To be honest, I learned of this secret of adding ketchup and corn to picadillo from a fellow Latina, who I met in a battered woman's shelter many many years ago. French's Ketchup is teaming up with Feeding America and has a goal of providing 10 million meals to communities in America in 2017. Now, this is a brand I want to support.
You can find French's Ketchup in most Walmart's around you. It's in the condiments aisle, near the mustard and hot sauce.
I love my picadillo on a bed of white rice, complimented by fresh avocado and fried plantains. These plantains were fried to perfection!
What are your thoughts about using ketchup as an ingredient? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out French's Ketchup's site to see all of the cool and natural products that they have. I hope you enjoy this recipe and as always, buen provecho!
Sweet Corn and Olive Picadillo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound of ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ cup of onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ cup of corn kernels
- 1 ounce of raisins
- 3-4 tablespoons of pimento stuffed green olives
- 2 tablespoons of French's Ketchup
- ¼ cup of water
- additional salt and pepper to taste
- 1 packet of Sazon for coloring (optional)
Marc says
Not traditional... but I bet garlic or jalapeno stuffed olives would be good in this too.
Neyssa says
Definitely not traditional. 🙂 I love adding twists to the classics. Mmm jalapeno stuffed olives would indeed be good in this. Good idea! Thank you for visiting. 🙂
Ymilsis Moll says
I am from Camagüey, Cuba and my abuela (grandmother) made it with Delmonte Ketshup.... no tomato paste.... I now make it that way and it is the best!,, So yes, it is Cuban!