Baked Plantain Meat Pie

Baked Plantain Meat Pie (Pastelón) is prepared with layers of ground beef mixture, fried ripe plantains, beaten eggs and shredded mozzarella cheese.  It is similar to the Italian lasagna.  However, I prepare this dish with ground turkey, baked ripe plantains and beaten eggs, which is a much healthier version.   The cheese that I prefer to use for this dish is the Gouda cheese.

Furthermore, we prepare this dish with a meat filling known as Picadillo.  Picadillo comes from the Spanish word “picar” which means to chop or mince.   Therefore, the meat filling should have a chopped or minced texture when cooked.

Baking the Ripe Plantains!

For this recipe, we will be using the very ripe plantain where the skin is almost black.

Cut off both ends of the very ripe plantains with a knife.

Place 4 to 6 very ripe plantains on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350ºF.

Remove from oven after baking for 30 minutes.  Let stand to cool for approximately 15 to 30 minutes.

Peeling and Slicing the Baked Ripe Plantains!

With a kitchen scissor, cut skin of baked plantain lengthwise and peel with your hands.

Cut the baked plantain lengthwise into 3 to 4 slices about ¼-inch thick.

Continue this process with the remaining baked plantains and place on a large plate.  Set aside.

Sautéing the Condiments for the Baked Plantain Meat Pie!

Pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil,  ½ teaspoon Lite salt, ½ teaspoon oregano leaves and 3 minced garlic clove in a skillet.

Add ⅓ cup tomato sauce, 1½ teaspoons capers and 8 pimiento stuffed green olives, cut into halves.

Add 2 tablespoons of sofrito.

Click on the link to learn how to make a large batch of Sofrito or click on the link on How to Make Sofrito for a Single Meal.

Add 2 seasoning envelopes of coriander and annatto to add color to this dish.

If you are unable to purchase the seasoning envelopes, click on the link to prepare your own Special Blend of Seasonings.

Stir until all the ingredients are well blended and sauté for approximately 3 to 5 minutes over low heat.

Cooking the Picadillo for the Baked Plantain Meat Pie!

We can now place 1 pound of ground turkey into skillet and stir well.

Once the ground turkey is completely coated with the tomato-oil based sauce, cover skillet with lid and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes of cooking, remove lid and stir the meat frequently, breaking up any clumps with a spoon to obtain a minced or chopped texture.

Cover skillet with lid and continue cooking for approximately 25 minutes but this time stirring occasionally.

The picadillo (meat filling) is cooked and has a uniform minced texture that we are looking for.  

Place the meat filling in a bowl and set aside.

Shredding the Gouda Cheese!

This is a wedge of Gouda cheese  – a Dutch cheese.  Gouda has a creamy buttery texture and a sweet nutty flavor with a fat content of 48 percent.

Remove the red wax casing with your hands.

Using a flat grater, shred 2 cups of Gouda cheese.

I prefer the Gouda cheese because it melts well due to its high fat content.  However,  you can use the Mozzarella cheese that is normally used in preparing this dish.

Beating the Eggs!

In a small bowl, beat 4 large eggs and set aside.  The eggs will serve as a binding agent.

Layering the Pastelón – Baked Plantain Meat Pie!

Spray the bottom of baking pan with extra virgin olive oil.    Pour half of the beaten eggs to cover bottom of baking pan entirely.

Layer with baked slices of plantains.

Add meat filling and spread evenly on top of sliced baked plantians.

Sprinkle the meat filling with shredded Gouda cheese.

Repeat another layer of sliced baked plantains.

Add remaining meat filling and spread evenly on top of sliced baked plantains.

Layer completely with the slices of baked plantains.

Pour the other half of beaten eggs.  

Cover pastelón with another layer of shredded Gouda cheese. 

Baking the Pastelón – Baked Plantain Meat Pie! 

Now that the Baked Plantain Meat Pie (Pastelón) is assembled we can place it in oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350°F.  Let stand to cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy a slice of this delicious Baked Plantain Meat Pie (Pastelón).  The sweetness of the very ripe plantains along with the saltiness of the meat filling and melted Gouda cheese makes this dish an excellent combination for a savory and sweet meal.

Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on How to Prepare Pastelón (Baked Plantain Meat Pie)!

 

Nutritional Facts and Recipe!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only.  Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.

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