Ground Beef Plantain Lasagna Food

PLANTAIN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Gather all your ingredients

PLANTAIN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Peel plantains then cut each one across into 4 slices.
• Place oil in a large frying pan up to 1 inch and heat up for about 6 minutes. Place the plantain slices flat into the oil and fry on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Note: I fried my plantains in 4 batches.
• In another pan, place 1 teaspoon of oil and heat up. Add the onion and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook while breaking up with a wooden spoon. Once the beef is all broken up, and brown, add the tomatoes, salt, bouillon powder (or stock cubes) and white pepper. Cook until the tomato slightly wilts - about 5 minutes. Add the green onions and chopped bell pepper and mix. Turn off the heat.
• Rub some oil all over an 8 by 11 baking pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with half of the plantains making sure to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Cover the plantains with half of the meat sauce making sure to spread the meat sauce evenly and press down. Then cover the meat sauce with half of the cheese. Press the cheese down well. Repeat the process - plantains, meat then cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) until the cheese is melty and bubbly - about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

PASTELóN (PUERTO RICAN PLANTAIN "LASAGNA")

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F: Lightly grease a 10x10 casserole dish (for a thicker pastelón) or 9x13 casserole dish (for a thinner pastelón) with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

PUERTO RICAN PLANTAIN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray.
• Arrange cut plantains into a single layer. Lightly salt and coat with cooking spray. The salt will bring out the sweet flavor of the plantains.
• Bake for 7 minutes on each side, or until plantains are golden brown and very tender.
• Once done, set aside to be used later to layer the lasagna.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Heat oil in a large saucepot over a medium high flame. Add onions; sauté until onions are tender. Add pepper and stir for another few minutes until peppers soften.
• Add the Soy Chorizo and 1-cup tomato sauce to the mixture and stir well. Reduce heat to a medium flame and simmer covered for another 5-7 minutes.
• To assemble Pastelon: In a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan, spread remaining ¼ cup tomato sauce. Then layer with plantains. Spread chorizo mixture on top of plantains. Layer with a handful of cheese. Repeat layers until the last layer is cheese. You will most likely get three layers.
• In a separate bowl, thoroughly beat eggs with milk. Pour evenly over the Pastelón. Let sit for a minute allowing the egg mixture to soak inches Top off with just a bit more cheese.
• Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and let bake another 7 minutes.

GROUND BEEF & PLANTAIN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cook and stir bacon and onions in medium saucepan on medium-high heat until bacon is crisp. Add ground beef and peppers; cook and stir until ground beef is evenly browned. Stir in next 6 ingredients; cover. Cook on low heat 15 min., stirring occasionally.
• Cook plantains in dressing in skillet on medium-high heat until each slice is evenly browned on both sides, turning once. Arrange 1/3 of the plantains on bottom of 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray; cover with half the meat mixture. Repeat layers; cover with remaining plantains. Whisk eggs and milk until blended; pour over ingredients in pan.
• Bake 45 min. or until center is set.

PASTELóN

Steps:

• Prepare the plantains: Line a sheet pan with paper towels; set aside. Cut off the ends of each plantain. With the tip of a knife, score plantains lengthwise and peel off the skin. Using a serrated knife or chef's knife, cut each plantain in half lengthwise, and then halve again lengthwise so you end up with 24 long slices. (If some of the slices break or are unevenly shaped, that's OK! Carry on.)
• In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, heat 1 cup oil over medium-high to between 350 and 375 degrees. Working with 4 to 6 slices at a time, depending on what fits, fry plantains until deep golden brown, turning halfway through, about 6 minutes total. Transfer fried plantains to the prepared sheet pan and cook remaining plantains; set aside. (Let oil cool, then strain and reserve for another use.)
• Prepare the sofrito: Put onion, bell pepper, ají dulce chiles (if using), garlic, cilantro and culantro (if using), in a food processor; blend until it becomes a rough, wet purée. (You should have about 1 cup sofrito).
• Prepare the picadillo: In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium until it shimmers. Add the sofrito and cook, stirring often, until purée thickens and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is evenly cooked and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Turn off heat. Push meat mixture to one side, and carefully tilt skillet so that the fat from the meat collects at the bottom of the tilted pan; spoon off and discard as much of this excess fat as you can.
• Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes, wine and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes fall apart and the liquid starts to reduce, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in olives and raisins, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Picadillo can be made up to 2 days in advance. Rewarm it in a pan on the stove before proceeding with recipe.)
• Prepare the pastelón: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with butter. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• Lay half the fried plantain slices along the bottom of the baking dish crosswise, piecing any broken pieces together to form an even layer. (If there are small gaps in the plantain layer, this is OK.) Top with half the picadillo (about 2 cups), smoothing it into an even layer, then sprinkle half the cheese on top in an even layer. Repeat with another layer of plantains then the remaining picadillo. Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the picadillo layer and spread it so it settles down into the pastelón. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
• Bake the pastelón until the egg is cooked, the cheese is melted and the layers are set, 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot.