Ingredients
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium bell peppers (green, without seeds, chopped)
8 large plantains (yellow, ripe and peeled)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 cup tomato sauce
11/2 cups green beans (cooked)
10 cups water
1 medium onion (yellow, chopped)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded, low-fat)
1 cup beef broth (low-sodium)
3 bay leaves
11/2 pounds ground beef (lean)
1/2 tablespoon annatto paste (achiote)
5 egg whites (beaten)
5 ajicitos (tiny sweet peppers)
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot. Drain the fat and add the remaining filling ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Boil the peeled plantains in 10 cups of water until soft, then drain. In a large bowl, mash the plantains, then add the olive oil. Mix well, making it into a soft dough.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are foamy.
- Spread half of the plantain dough in an 11" × 14" baking pan. Add a layer of the meat filling, egg whites, and half of the green beans.
- Repeat these layers, and top with a final layer of plantains and egg whites. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Cut into 12 servings.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nutrition.gov Website. Puerto Rican Yellow Plantain and Meat Casserole. Recipe source: Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.. Available at nutrition.gov/recipes. Access date: 09-05-2024.