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Rallado el queso, el chef metió el pastel al horno; o sea, lo horneó.

Rallado el queso, el chef metió el pastel al horno; o sea, lo horneó.
The cheese grated, the chef put the pie into the oven; that is, he baked it.
From Lesson 320:Background context with participles·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Rallado el queso, el chef metió el pastel al horno; o sea, lo horneó.

Why does this sentence start with Rallado el queso instead of a regular clause like Después de rallar el queso?
Rallado el queso is an absolute participle clause. It is an elegant way to provide background information, usually showing that one action finished before the main action started. It translates roughly to "Once the cheese was grated" or "The cheese having been grated." While you could use a longer phrase, the absolute clause is concise and very common in written Spanish and storytelling.
In this structure, does rallado have to match the noun it precedes?
Yes, the participle in an absolute clause must agree in gender and number with its noun. Since queso is masculine singular, we use rallado. If the chef were grating carrots (las zanahorias), the sentence would start with Ralladas las zanahorias.
Why do we use al horno here instead of en el horno?
The verb meter (to put into/insert) implies motion or direction. Just as in English you put a pie "into" the oven rather than just "in" it, Spanish uses the preposition a (combined with el to make al) to show this destination. If you just wanted to say the pie was already inside, you would use en el horno.
How exactly is o sea used here, and is it formal or informal?
O sea literally translates to "or be it," but it is used exactly like "that is," "in other words," or "I mean." It is an incredibly common discourse marker in everyday Latin American Spanish, mostly used in casual conversation to clarify or rephrase something you just said.
I learned that pastel means "cake." Why is it translated as "pie" here?
In many parts of Latin America, pastel is a broad term that can refer to cakes, sweet pies, and even savory baked dishes (like a meat pie). While torta or tarta are also used depending on the specific country, pastel is perfectly natural here for a baked goods.

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