Cuban recipe

Cuban Picadillo Disco Sandwich

Name: Cuban Picadillo Disco Sandwich
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 200 g raw ground beef; ¼ small onion, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, crushed; ¼ small bell pepper, chopped; 3 tablespoons crushed tomato or thick tomato sauce; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon chopped olives; 1 teaspoon oil for the sofrito; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon raisins (optional); 2 round Cuban bocadito bread rolls, bollo-style

Round Cuban bread rolls filled with Cuban-style picadillo, pressed and browned in a round disc sandwich press. A crispy, savory Cuban afternoon snack.

CiberCubaNovember 8, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation15 min
Cooking30 min
Total time45 min
Servings2 rolls
DifficultyEasy

The roll pressed in a disc sandwich press is one of those snacks that smell like a Cuban street corner: a small round bocadito roll with a thin crust and soft crumb, heated and toasted until slightly flattened and crispy on the outside.\n\nHere we fill it with a well-reduced Cuban-style picadillo (seasoned ground beef), with its tomato, cumin and chopped olives, with no sauce dripping out. The sandwich press only reheats and toasts: the filling is already cooked.

Method

The picadillo

Heat one teaspoon of oil and sauté the chopped onion, garlic and bell pepper in a skillet until soft and fragrant.
Add the 200 g of raw ground beef and cook, stirring, until well cooked and crumbly, with no large clumps.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Stir in the 3 tablespoons of tomato, the cumin and the chopped olives (and the raisins, if using). Adjust the salt and pepper. Cook until the picadillo is thick and almost free of liquid.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Remove from the heat and let it cool a little: once lukewarm, it is easier to handle and won't soften the bread.

Assembly

Slice each roll horizontally into two halves, as for a bocadito.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Divide the cooked picadillo between the two rolls, using no more than about 75 g per roll if there is leftover filling, without filling to the edge so it doesn't spill out, and cover with the other half.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

In the sandwich press

Heat the Cuban disc sandwich press (metal and round) over medium-low heat.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Place the rolls in the mold one at a time, close it and press gently to flatten them a little.
Brown for 2-3 minutes per side, or depending on thickness, turning the mold, until the bread is toasted and the center is piping hot.
Remove and let rest for 1-2 minutes before eating, because the filling will be very hot. Serve immediately.