Pastelon Recipe: Puerto Rican Plantain Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 0.33 cup sofrito
• 8 green olives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 0.25 cup recao
• 0.25 teaspoon dried oregano
• cooking spray
• 0.75 cup vegetable oil
• 6 large ripe plantains - peeled, halved, and each half cut lengthwise into 4 slices
• 5 large eggs
• 1 (9 ounce) package frozen French cut green beans, thawed and drained
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking it apart, until browned and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked meat and drain off any excess fat.
2. In the same skillet, combine tomato sauce, sofrito, green olives, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, recao, and oregano. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the ground beef to the skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the plantain slices until they are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place fried plantains on paper towels to drain excess oil.
5. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and whisk to combine.
6. Arrange half of the fried plantain slices in a single layer on the bottom of the prepared baking pan, overlapping as necessary. Spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the plantains, followed by a layer of green beans, and then the remaining plantain slices. Pour the beaten eggs evenly over the top. Finally, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the entire casserole.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted and bubbly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 463 kcal
• Fat Content: 15 g
• Fiber Content: 6 g
• Sugar Content: 33 g
• Sodium Content: 678 mg
• Protein Content: 18 g
• Cholesterol Content: 149 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 70 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g