Pastelón

The pastelón is a casserole dish consisting of typical Latin Caribbean foods such as plantains, sofrito, and seasoned, mince meat (beef).[1]

In the Dominican Republic this dish is closely related to casserole. Sweet plantains are boiled and then mashed. Ground meat is layered with beaten eggs and sometimes cheddar cheese is added. The dish is then baked.

A version of pastelón prepared with sweet plantains, ground beef, tomato-based sauce and cheese.

In Puerto Rico pastelón is considered a Puerto Rican lasagna. Sweet plantains are peeled cut lengthwise in to strips and fried in butter and olive oil mix. The plantain replaces lasagna pasta. Diced meat is sautéed with most notably bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, herbs, spices, olives, capers, raisins, garlic, wine and other ingredients. Plantains are then placed at the bottom of a backing pan layered with meat filling, cheese and bechamel sauce or marinara sauce. This is then repeated about two more times making layers just like a lasagna. It is then baked. Plantains can be replaced with batata or boiled mashed yuca.

Puerto Rican pastelón closely resembles Italian lasagna and believed it originated in New York City where Puerto Rican and Italian neighborhoods clashed.

There is also another version where sweet plantains are turned in to lasagna pasta sheets mixing plantains, eggs, salt, and semolina.

Vegetarian pastelón is popular as well replacing meat with mushrooms, eggplant, squash, string beans, potato or chayote.