You asked for it, we’ve got it: Chef Cesar Rodriquez, formerly with The Cordua Group and Tony’s and now heading up the kitchen at downtown’s Samba Grille, has shared with SideDish readers his recipe for Pan de Queso, a gluten-free Brazilian cheese bread that is a rodizio favorite. We challenge you to try and eat just one piece.

Samba Grille’s Cheese Bread

  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups milk
  • 6 cups sweet yucca starch (yucca doce, available at Phonecia Specialty Market, or you can substitute with tapioca flour)
  • 12 oz. Parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Mini-muffin or standard muffin pan
  • Non-stick cooking spray

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Mix all ingredients together and, using a mixer, beat for 20 minutes on medium speed. (Yes, 20 minutes.)

3. Spray a small muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

4. Scoop the pan de queso dough into the muffin pan (each muffin hole should be about 3/4 filled).

5. Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on capacity of the muffin holes.

Allow the bread to cool, then pop them out of the muffin pan. Serve warm.

(Hungry for more recipes? Check out the teaser from our April-May Italian Issue, 5 Chefs with a Chance of Meatballs here and see a few fun takes on meatballs from Houston chefs. For all five recipes, check out the April-May issue of My Table, available now on newsstands.)