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Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

A recipe blog by a Chilean living in the USA

  • Chilean
    • Chilean Appetizers & Beverages
    • Chilean Breads
    • Chilean Breakfast
    • Chilean Cakes & Bakes
    • Chilean Cookies & Candy
    • Chilean Desserts
    • Chilean Jams & Jellies
    • Chilean Meat
    • Chilean Once
    • Chilean Pasta, Rice & Potatoes
    • Chilean Poultry
    • Chilean Salads
    • Chilean Sandwich
    • Chilean Seafood
    • Chilean Soups & Starters
    • Chilean Vegetables
  • Other Cuisines
    • Argentinian Food
    • Peruvian Food
    • US American food
    • Mexican food
    • Latin American Food
  • Savory
    • Breakfast
      • Eggs
    • Appetizers
      • Cocktails
    • Entrees
      • Beef
      • Empanadas (EN)
      • Chicken
      • Fish
      • Pork
      • Shellfish
        • Langostino Recipes
    • Side dishes
      • Pasta
      • Rice
      • Potatoes
    • Vegetables
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches (en)
    • Soups
    • Breads
  • Sweet
    • Cakes & Bakes
    • Kuchen
    • Candy
    • Chocolate
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Desserts
      • Lucuma Recipes
    • Jam, Frosting & Jellies
    • Pies
    • Sweet bread
  • Gardening
  • Español

Chilean Once

What is “La Once Chilena”?

Once is the most popular mealtime in Chile. Always in the evenings (from 7 to 10 pm) and often replacing dinner. It’s a treasure tradition. It is beloved for its flexibility and hominess. Once is the embodiment of comfort food for Chileans.
In Chile and Latin culture, leaving someone to eat alone is frowned upon. The Once awaits everyone in the household. Even if you ate, you could have another cup of tea to keep company to the late arrivals.

What do you eat at Once?

The weekday Once is usually a mix of bread and assorted bread fillings (cosas pa’l pan) or spreads, leftovers from lunch or the weekend, and coffee and tea. There will be a bread basket and cold cuts, jams, butter, cheese, mashed avocado, and queso fresco at the table. If lucky, a pound cake or bundt cake too.

On weekends Once is more elaborated with cakes, kuchen or pies. Maybe an assortment of different pieces of bread on the bread basket. Fancier cold cuts and cheese and scrambled eggs.

What to expect if invited to Once?

Be glad if you get an invitation for once, because since there is always an assortment of things, you can choose what to eat and drink. Also, Once is a more intimate affair than dinner in Chilean households, so you are probably a good friend and trusted.

Since much of Once revolves around bread, if you are gluten intolerant, let your host know in advance.

What to bring to Chilean Once?

If you want to bring food, bring something sweet, store-bought is fine. Stop by the local bakery and get a pie or a kuchen, an assortment of cookies, etc. If you enjoy baking, any recipes listed below will be well received.

You can also bring flowers, chocolates, jam, or dulce de leche. If you bring wine, do not expect the host to open it during the once. Most likely, the wine will be saved for lunch or Asado.

Homemade Dulce de Leche

Panqueques con Dulce de Leche

Milhojas or Thousand Layers Cake

Leche con Duraznos Chilean Milk with Peaches

Ground Beef and Eggs Breakfast Scramble

Peach Kuchen de Duraznos

Churrascas Chilean Stovetop Bread

High Tea Cookies (One dough)

Chilean Calzones Rotos

Chilean Pie de Limón Lemon Meringue

Brazo de Reina Chilean Dulce de Leche Roll

Leche con Plátano Milk with Banana

Scrambled eggs with cheese and tomatoes

Colizas Chilean Bread

Basic Chilean Bundt Cake

Pan Amasado Chilean Country Bread

Homemade Queso Fresco

Dulce de Alcayota Chilean Spaghetti Squash Preserve

Causeo Chilean Salad

Chancho en Piedra

Picarones

Marraquetas Chilean Bread

Hallullas Chilean Bread

Chilean Raspberry Kuchen

Chilean Dobladitas

Pichanga

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes

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