Pastelón or Ripe Plantain and Beef Casserole

I was planing to make Pastelón, a Puerto Rican Ripe Plantain and Beef Casserole, for a while. This dish is sort of like a lasagna, but using ripe plantains instead of pasta. 

The verdict… What can I say? I sat down at the dinner table, looking at this delicious casserole in front of me. When I cut the beautiful portions of Pastelón, I was greeted by a fragrance of cheese and spices. The mixture of the beef, raisins and olives with all those spices and the sweetness of the ripe plantains is delectable. This dish is perfect for kids. You just know you will be satisfying their picky taste buds. The Pyrex glass pan was practically clean after simply serving the casserole, never mind cleaning it! The dish tasted great and clean up was so easy that it seemed almost too good to be true. No soaking or scrubbing involved. Sounds perfect to me! By eliminating the difficult scrubbing and clean up of the baking dish, I think I’ll be making these types of casseroles more often!

I was very happy with the results of the Ripe Plantain and Beef Casserole using the new and improved PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Now I can even make Italian lasagna without the fear of cleaning cheese and tomato sauce from my baking pan.

Here is my recipe for the Pastelón or Ripe Plantain Casserole

Ingredients
(About 6 servings)

PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
9×13 baking dish
7 very ripe plantains, peeled and sliced

Filling:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sazon goya with azafrán
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
3 bay leaves
6 Spanish olives, stuffed with minced pimientos, diced
3/4 cup raisins
1 can (14 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 beaten eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup white cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus 1/4 cup
vegetable oil, for frying the plantains

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with PAM and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic, green pepper and cook for 1 more minute.

3. Add the beef and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink.

4. Add the cilantro, Sazón Goya, cumin, oregano, paprika, bay leaves, olives, raisins, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

5. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the plantain slices to the pan, keeping in a single layer, and cook about 2 minutes on each side.

6. Remove the plantains with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

7. In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan cheese with the eggs and water. Set aside.

8. Lay about one-third of the plantains in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add half of the meat sauce on top.

9. Add another layer of plantains. Spread half the egg and cheese mixture evenly on top.

10. Pour the other half of the meat sauce on top. Repeat step 9 and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup parmesan on top.

11. Bake in center of oven 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.