Go Back
Rectangular slice of Pastelon served on a white plate

Pastelón (Gluten and Dairy Free)

A Puerto Rican and Dominican inspired pastelon made healthy with mashed ripe plantains, ground beef, and no dairy or gluten
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8
Course: Casseroles, Main Course
Cuisine: Dominican, Latin American, Puerto Rican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Plantain Masa:
  • 4-5 Ripe yellow plantains the blacker the better
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree to add moisture and more nutrients
  • 1 tbsp dairy free butter or cooking spray or oil, for greasing the baking pan
Beef Filling:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or other cooking oil
  • 2 tbsp sofrito If you can't buy sofrito, see below
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce check the label, some brands include corn starch or corn flour for thickening!
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup sliced olives
  • 2 tsp adobo spice blend Goya brand is traditional, but see below for a separate adobo recipe
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
Additional ingredients:
  • 3 eggs optional, but helps "glue" everything together
  • 1 cup green beans optional, but adds nutrition and texture
Garlicky Mayo-ketchup
  • 3 tbsp ketchup make sure you get one without corn syrup!
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise add more or less to taste
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar if using white vinegar, reduce to 1-2 tsp
  • 2 tbsp sake can sub with water
  • 2-4 garlic cloves we like it really garlicky, so adjust according to taste

Equipment

  • 1 9x12 casserole Dish glass or ceramic
  • 1 large pot for boiling plantains

Method
 

Make the Plantain Masa
  1. Cut off the ends of the ripe plaintains and slice open the plantain skins lengthwise from end to end. Peel back the skin to reveal the white plantain fruit (it looks a lot like a banana but is much starchier). Roughly cut the plantain into chunks for boiling.
  2. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the plantains and let simmer over medium heat, about 20 mins. Test with a fork for doneness. If the fork easily pierces the plantain, it's ready (this is similar to how you would boil potatoes).
  3. Drain the plantain pieces, then with a fork or potato masher, mash the plantains. Add the pumpkin puree and then continue to mash. Optionally add 1-2 TBSP of water until desired consistency (like a mashed potato, not overly wet. You want it to maintain some substance by being slightly dry).
Cook the Beef Filling
  1. Add oil to a pan and gently sauté the sofrito over medium-low heat (careful! sofrito is wet so may splatter). Add the ground beef and break it apart with a spatula.
  2. Add the tomato sauce, red bell peppers, adobo spice, oregano, bay leaves, and olives, stir to cook. If it's too dry, add a splash of water or sake. Cook under the liquid is mostly gone.
Assemble the Pastelón
  1. Prehead the oven to 350ºF.
  2. Grease a 9x12 baking pan
  3. Scoop half the plantain masa into the pan. Spread it around and press it down into an even layer
  4. Remove the bay leaves from the beef filling, then spread all of the beef filling overtop the plantain layer. It should completely cover the bottom in an even layer.
  5. Scatter the green beans overtop the beef filling.
  6. Crack 3 eggs and beat well. Gently spread 1/2 the beaten egg overtop the beef & green bean layer evenly across the dish. Use a basting brush to even out the spread as needed.
  7. Add the rest of the plantain masa to the top of the dish, being careful to spread it evenly and press it into a flat layer. Then gently spread the remaining beaten egg overtop this plantain layer, again using a basting brush to even out the spread as needed.
  8. Optional: Sprinkle ground achiote (can sub paprika) as a garnish
  9. Bake at 350ºF for 45 min.
  10. Once finished, remove from oven and let it sit for 10 min before slicing. Enjoy!
Make Mayo-Ketchup condiment
  1. Mince the garlic or mash in a mortar to draw out the most flavor
  2. Add ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar, sake, and garlic to a bowl and mix completely until fully incorporated. Serve on the side with the pastelón.

Notes

If you can't find sofrito, you can make some yourself, but if that's too cumbersome, just add minced culantro (or cilantro if you also cannot find culantro), onion, and garlic. 
Pastelón is a great family meal dish, but it also can be made ahead and served as leftovers. Pastelón also freezes really well for meal prep!