Beef Pastelón with Plantain Layers

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-06 · Updated 2026-04-06

A hearty layered casserole featuring tender ground beef, sweet plantain slices, and melted cheese, baked to golden perfection. This puerto rican-inspired beef ready in about 60 minutes pairs ground beef, medium, finely chopped yellow onion, minced garlic for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. 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
• 1 medium, finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 medium, finely chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 large (1.5 lbs), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick green plantains
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup, shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup, grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add chopped onion and bell pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Step 2: Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, and cook until browned (5-7 minutes). Stir in tomato sauce, chicken broth, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper, then simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
3. Step 3: Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread a thin layer of beef mixture on the bottom, arrange a single layer of plantain slices over it, then cover with another layer of beef mixture. Repeat until all plantains are used, ending with a layer of beef mixture on top.
4. Step 4: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown, then let rest 10 minutes before serving.