Beef and Plantain Pastelón with Tomato Sauce

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-04 · Updated 2026-04-04

A layered Puerto Rican casserole featuring crispy fried plantains, savory beef, and rich tomato sauce, baked until golden and bubbly. This puerto rican-inspired one pot ready in about 70 minutes blends Ground beef, Olive oil, medium, diced Yellow onion into a versatile sauce that lifts everything from grain bowls and roasted vegetables to grilled proteins — a small-batch staple worth keeping in the fridge. Each serving lands at about 620 calories and feeds 6, so a small batch covers several meals across the week without taking over the fridge. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground beef
• 3 large, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick Ripe plantains
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 medium, diced Yellow onion
• 2, minced Garlic cloves
• 2 large, diced Ripe tomato
• 1 cup Tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup Chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 2, beaten Eggs
• 1/2 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened, then add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Step 2: Add 1 lb ground beef, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, and cook until browned (6 minutes); stir in 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then add 2 diced tomatoes and cook 3 minutes until softened.
3. Step 3: Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes; set aside.
4. Step 4: In a separate skillet, heat oil and fry plantain slices in batches for 2 minutes per side until golden brown; drain on paper towels.
5. Step 5: Preheat oven to 375°F. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread half the tomato-beef sauce, layer half the fried plantains, then the remaining sauce, then the remaining plantains.
6. Step 6: Pour beaten eggs over the top and sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 20 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are golden; rest 10 minutes before serving.