Puerto Rican Pastelón Layered Sweet Plantain Casserole

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-29 · Updated 2026-04-29

A savory-sweet Puerto Rican casserole layering ripe mashed plantains with ground beef and cheese, baked to golden perfection. This puerto rican-inspired beef ready in about 75 minutes pairs ground beef, onion, diced, green bell pepper, diced 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

• 4 large ripe plantains, peeled and sliced lengthwise
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 diced onion, 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
2. Step 2: Add 1 lb ground beef, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
3. Step 3: Stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
4. Step 4: In a separate skillet, heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry 4 sliced ripe plantains in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
5. Step 5: In a bowl, beat 2 large eggs. Mash half of the fried plantains and mix with the beaten eggs to form a mash layer.
6. Step 6: In a greased 9x9-inch baking dish, layer half the mashed plantain mixture, then half the beef mixture, and sprinkle 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese on top.
7. Step 7: Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.