Pastel de Choclo, directly translated means “corn pie,” but is more of a layered corn and beef casserole than a pie in the traditional American sense. Pastel de Choclo was the final piece of the Chilean meal that I cooked with Ms. M. Chilean cuisine is a product of the commingling of the native Indian tradition with Spanish colonial contribution, combining their customs, foods, and culinary habits. When Chile declared independence from Spain in 1810, other European immigrants began to make their mark on the cuisine as well. This mix of native and European influences is now known as cocina criolla Chilean, or “Chilean Creole cuisine.” Pastel de Choclo is an example of this cuisine, combining corn, a native product, with a European influenced meat filling.