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pastelon in a black baking dish.
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5 from 4 votes

Pastelon

This pastelon is layers of meat sauce, cheese, and sweet plantains. A Puerto Rican classic dish that is super easy to make and feeds a crowd!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Caribbean, Puerto Rican
Servings: 6
Calories: 809kcal
Author: Julie Maestre

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs ground beef
  • 6-8 yellow plantains very ripe
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp sazon
  • 2 tbsp sofrito
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 cup olives or capers
  • 3 tbsp raisins
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp vino seco dry white wine
  • 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • oil

Instructions

  • Begin by preparing the meat sauce. Add oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the sofrito and sazon and cook for 10 seconds.
  • Stir in the ground beef and let it brown completely. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, tomato sauce, vino seco, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the raisins and olives, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Cut a slit down each plantain and then remove the peel. Slice the plantain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Heat some oil in a skillet. Once the oil reaches 325 degrees F, fry the plantains for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 
  • Cover the bottom of a baking dish with meat sauce. Add a single layer of plantains on top of the meat sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese and repeat this process until you reach the top of the casserole dish or run out of ingredients. Pour the whisked eggs over the baking dish before adding the final layer of cheese. Top with a final layer of cheese.
  • Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes.

Notes

  • It is so important that the plantains are super ripe and sweet! The whole point of this dish is the sweet and salty combo. This dish is truly amazing when made with ultra-sweet plantains.
  • If your plantains aren't too sweet, add some extra raisins to the meat sauce.
  • The eggs will help the pastelon stay in place after slicing into it.
  • Season the beef to your liking and add as much or as little cheese as you want.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 809kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 1119mg | Potassium: 1624mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 2962IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 440mg | Iron: 5mg