Pastelón de plátano maduro (ripe plantain casserole) combines the delicate sweetness of ripe plantains, flavorful, juicy beef filling, & melting cheese. It's our favorite casserole and one of our favorite dishes. We serve it for everyday meals or special occasions. Pure bliss.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Dec 21, 2002
Why we ❤️ it
A spectacular combination of every flavor we love, the Dominican pastelón de plátano maduro is a dish we could serve every day, given the chance. Unlike the Puerto Rican pastelón de maduros, which is like a sweet plantain lasagna made with slices of fried plantains, the Dominican version is made with mashed and boiled ripe plantains for a simple, lighter version all the Dominican sazon and flavor.
Great for your get-togethers, potlucks, and cookouts, this dish is also part of our traditional Christmas feast. This is possibly the second most popular plantain recipe in the Dominican Republic. A dish that nearly no one will turn down.
What's plantain?
The banana (Musa cavendish y M. Sapientum) and the plantain (Musa paradisiaca) are two varieties of the same fruit, a long-leaved plant of the Musaceae family. Each region has its own varieties and peculiar names: In some countries such as Mexico, Central America, and Spain, "plátano" is the word used for both banana and plantain, and the plantain is distinguished by the name "plátano macho". In the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, we call the banana "guineo", while the Venezuelans call it "cambur". Dominicans call fried plantain slices "fritos" or "tostones".
Plantains and ripe plantain casserole.
Serving suggestions
Pastelón de plátano maduro is a one-pan dish, and can be served on its own, or as part of a larger meal. I merely serve a simple salad to go along with it on a weekday meal or serve it as a side dish if we're having a feast.
For Christmas, we serve it alongside our Puerco asado (pork roast), Pavo asado (Turkey roast), or Pollo asado (chicken roast). Other dishes we can't leave out are Moro de Guandules (rice with pigeon peas), Ensalada rusa, or mixta (potato salad), and Pasteles en hoja (roots and beef pockets).
Top tip
- Layering: Your choice of cheese and the order in which the layers are distributed is a matter of taste. Any cheese that melts works; I like mixing cheddar and mozzarella, for example, while some people like placing the cheese right after the meat layer. Go ahead, experiment!
- Other fillings: For some non-traditional fillings (including vegetarian ones), check our whole collection of pastelones fillings. You can also use ground turkey, pork, or chicken for a non-traditional filling.
- Plantain ripeness: They should be completely ripe but still mostly firm, with some black spots. If they're too ripe, the mash will be too mushy. If they are unripe, it won't be as sweet.
- Vegan pastelón? Absolutely! We offer some vegan and vegetarian fillings; you can use vegan cheese or leave the cheese entirely out.
About this recipe
Except for ripe plantains, which may be a bit difficult to find in some countries, the ingredients for this pastelón are very accessible, so it's the cooking method. It makes it a great choice to serve something very Dominican and surprise your guests with this wonderful dish.
If you have any tips or secrets that make your pastelón special, please share them in the comments!
Video
Recipe
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Pastelón de Plátano Maduro [Video+Recipe] Ripe Plantain Casserole
Ingredients
For the filling
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, (or vegetable oil)
- 1 red onion, [65g], minced
- 1 tablespoon mashed garlic, (3 large garlic cloves)
- 1 pound ground beef, [454g]
- 1 cup tomato sauce, [115g]
- 1 green bell pepper, or red, seeded and minced
- 1½ teaspoons salt, (or more, to taste)
- ½ teaspoons black pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or more, to taste)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, (or parsley)
To assemble
- 6 plantain (ripe, yellow)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup salted butter, plus extra to grease pan.
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, (see notes)
Instructions
1. Making the filling
Find the recipe and instructions with video for the filling here.
2. Peel the plantain
Peel the plantains and boil adding 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Once the plantains are fork tender (15 - 20 mins), remove them from the heat.
3. Mash the plantains
- Drain the water right away, and mash them with a fork. Add the butter and keep mashing until it is very smooth with no lumps.
4. Layer
- Grease a 1-inch tall baking pan. Put half of the plantain mixture in the baking pan. Cover with half of the cheese. Cover the cheese with the meat. Cover with the remaining plantain mixture. Cover with the rest of the cheese.
5. Bake
Cook in preheated oven to 350 °F [175 °C] until the top is golden brown.
6. Serving
- It will be easier to serve if you wait five minutes after removing it from the oven.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More plantain recipes
We love plantains, and our plantain recipes are some of our most popular. Aside from the very popular Mangú, Pasteles, and Mofongo, we also have some lesser-known dishes for you to try, like Tostones rellenos, Yaroa, Piononos, Arañitas de plátano, and Mofonguitos maduros.
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