Puerto Rican Pastelón (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-10 · Updated 2026-07-10

Layered baked dish featuring sweet ripe plantains, seasoned ground beef, and melted cheese, creating a sweet and savory Puerto Rican casserole. This puerto rican-inspired pork ready in about 70 minutes pairs ground beef, medium diced onion, diced green bell pepper 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 peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips ripe plantains
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp divided olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp divided salt
• 1/2 tsp divided black pepper
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 beaten eggs

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 diced medium onion, 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves; sauté for 4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
2. Step 2: Add 1 lb ground beef, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook, breaking up meat, for 6-8 minutes until browned. Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
3. Step 3: Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Fry 4 large peeled and sliced lengthwise ripe plantain strips in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and tender. Drain on paper towels.
4. Step 4: In a greased 9x13 inch baking dish, layer half the fried plantains to cover the bottom. Spread all the ground beef mixture evenly over the plantains. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Add remaining plantain strips on top.
5. Step 5: Whisk 2 beaten eggs with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper; gently pour over the layered plantains. Top with remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella.
6. Step 6: Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and golden and the casserole is set. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.