How to Cook Caldereta by Using Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix!

When in Manila and would like to have Caldereta for dinner but clueless on how to make it, worry not because Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix is here to the rescue!

Last weekend, we got to be featured on tv for the very 1st time where we were asked to pick the Best Caldereta in Manila! Days after that, I thought of why not cook our own at home? hhmmmm why not!!! But the big question was….. HOW???!!!! Here’s the thing: I love cooking, yeah… but my culinary know-how is only limited to baking breads, cakes and international dishes. I must admit I’m a novice when it comes to Pinoy dishes ahuhuuhu BUT of course, I’m willing to learn! As for my ever reliable and charming partner Frank, he doesn’t really have much experience in the kitchen, so I was really really reeeeeeeleeeeee proud of him for what he did this day!

For our 1st attempt to cook Caldereta, we had to turn to a trusted brand which Filipino kitchens have used over the years — Del Monte! We didn’t have the whole day to prepare… I believe we had roughly just 2 hours before dinner time and Frank also had to prepare for work so we had to make it really quick n easy yet tasty nonetheless!

Allow us to share with you all how easy it is to make Caldereta thanks to Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix!

Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix is soooo easy to use that it’s now possible for EVERYONE of COOK!

Here’s how….

Of course you gotta get the basic ingredients

150 g potato chunks
3 tbsp oil
1-1/2 tbsp liver spread
½ kg lean beef chunks
1 pouch (80g) Del Monte Quick n Easy Caldereta Sauce
1 tbsp grated cheese
50 g red bell pepper strips
½ cup frozen green peas
1 pc siling labuyo (sliced)

be sure to choose your beef well!

peel potatos, slice it into chunks

fry it until soft and a bit brown. I also seasoned it a bit! Set aside after

in the same pan, cook the liver and beef together! WARNING: will get irresistibly aromatic after a few minutes! Kindly practice self control! lols

add about 2 – 2.5 cups of water. Let simmer for about an hour until meat becomes tender!

While waiting for the meat to set, Frank prepared the rest of the ingredients….

At first, it was me and Frank’s sister Shirley who started cooking but when Frank arrived, he took over!

I really appreciated every bit of effort which Frank made that time! I’m really proud of him! Thank you Frank!

Great Caldereta MUST have CHEESE!!!

after an hour, we separated the meat and broth for a while

we placed the meat back and only poured 3/4 cup of the broth which is now packed with flavor! We felt it needed more liquid so we added water. Season according to taste!

Then it was time to pour in the Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix!

We noticed the change immediately after pouring the Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix!

It was like magic! OMG Caldereta nga!

I believe we added a LOT of Cheese!!! it was ok though! ahihihihi

for additional color and flavor, we added some red bell peppers!

tip: Always remember to add bell peppers right at the end to maintain its red brilliant colors!

we also added some green peas for additional color and texture!

I would suggest using frozen peas tho as the color looks more vibrant!

weeeeee!!!! so excited! almost done!

last but ain’t least, we added the fried potatos!

OMG! OMG! OMG! I can’t believe it! Frank did it!

Frank’s Quick n Easy Caldereta thanks to Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix

The verdict? Personally I was impressed on how easy it was! The only difficult part was actually when we had to wait for the beef to become tender, all the rest were really quick and fun! Our first Caldereta cooking attempt was a success with the help of Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix! It tasted like how great Caldereta should! Full flavored, thick and rich! I think we just had to tenderize the meat more and probably add some black olives next time! Cooking is sooo fun!

It really pays to rely on a trusted brand when you’re unsure about things in the kitchen. You just gotta make sure that the dish will come out well because you don’t wanna waste precious time and money in buying your ingredients to later find out that the mix you bought wasn’t as good as you expected.

As for people like me and Frank who rarely cook, it’s great to know that now, it’s very much possible to prepare great tasting meals right at home with the help of Del Monte Quick n Easy Mix! We can’t wait to try their other mixes!!