Recently, Ramon, our Panamanian helper, brought us a bunch of plantains from trees on our property.  It is always a challenge to use all of a pile of a single ingredient, so I began cooking plantains at every opportunity.  I made Plantains Dulce, Sugared Plantains and sauteed some in butter for a side dish.  Still, I had plantains stacked on the counter!

This led me to look around for a dish to utilize my remaining fruit.  In Latin America and the Caribbean, plantains are used often as a starch.  How about a casserole, sort of a lasagna using plantains instead of noodles?  It turns out that this sort of preparation is widely enjoyed, in some recipes with cheese making the similarities with the Italian favorite even more evident.  The following recipe is based on a traditional Puerto Rican meat pie called a Pastelon.

The sweetness of the plantains and the raisins really work well with the savory tomato sauce.  Plus, the smells that come while cooking this dish are fabulous.  Well, see for yourself!

Brown the meat, add the tomatoes, herbs and spices, and simmer.

Saute the sliced plantains in oil until golden brown

It is amazing how beautiful a browned plantain slice looks

Once the sauce and plantains are ready, it is time to assemble the casserole

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving

Plantain, Beef and Tomato Casserole

 

Author: OldGuy

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  70 mins

Total time:  1 hour 30 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
• ½ Cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
• ¾ Cup Diced Yellow Onion
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 4 Ounce Can of Diced Green Chilis
• 1 14 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 8 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Raisins
• 3 Tablespoons Sliced Ripe Olives
• 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ Teaspoon Salt
• 6 Twists of the Black Pepper Mill
• ½ Teaspoon Paprika
• 4 or 5 Medium Ripe Plantains, Sliced, Fried to a Golden Brown
• Oil (I used Canola)
• 2 Eggs, Well Beaten with 1 Tablespoon Milk
• Shredded Cheddar and Chopped Cilantro (or Parsley) for Garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place 1 teaspoon of oil into an 8" x 8" casserole and spread with your fingers to completely oil the bottom and sides of the dish.
2. Place a pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil, the ground beef and scramble it until all of the red is gone. Drain the meat using a strainer and return to pan. Add the red pepper, onion and bay leaf; cook and stir for 4 minutes to soften the vegetables. Now add the green chilis, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, ½ cup water, the salt, black pepper and paprika; stir well to combine and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the added water has cooked away. Stir in the raisins. Discard the bay leaf.
3. While the meat sauce is simmering, place a large skillet (non-stick or cast iron) over medium high heat, add 1½ Tablespoons Oil. Once the oil is hot, place a single layer of sliced plantains in the pan and turn/fry until golden brown on both sides (do not leave the skillet as the plantains will cook quickly). You will need to cook the plantains in 3 or 4 batches; do not crowd or overlap in the pan. Remove the browned plantains to a plate and set aside. Also, you will need to add oil for each batch fried.
4. To assemble, pour ½ of the egg mixture into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Arrange a single layer of the browned plantain slices over the egg. Spread ½ of the meat mixture evenly over the plantains. Next, arrange a second layer of plantains over the meat sauce and cover them with the remaining meat mixture.
5. Finally, arrange a topping layer of plantains over the meat sauce. Pour the remaining egg mixture over all. In summary, you'll have layers organized like this: eggs, plantain slices, meat sauce, plantains, meat sauce, plantains, eggs.
6. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
7. Garnish with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese (just a little, this is for looks not for a lot of flavor) and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, if desired.

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