Pastelón (Puerto Rican Plantain Lasagna) - Chicken Edition

Ingredients

• For the Sweet Plantains:
• 4 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced lengthwise 🍌
• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil 🧈🫒
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional, for extra caramelization) ✨
• For the Chicken Filling:
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 🍗
• 1 tbsp olive oil 🫒
• 0.5 small onion, diced 🧅
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 🧄
• 0.5 red bell pepper, diced 🌶️
• 0.5 tsp salt 🧂
• 0.5 tsp black pepper ⚫
• 1 tsp ground cumin ✨
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 🌶️
• 0.25 cup tomato sauce 🍅
• 2 tbsp sofrito 🌿
• 1 tbsp green olives, chopped 🫒 (optional)
• For the Egg Mixture & Cheese:
• 3 eggs, beaten 🥚
• 0.25 cup milk 🥛
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella or mild cheddar cheese 🧀

Instructions

1. 11️⃣ Prepare the Plantains
2. 2Heat butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry sliced plantains until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside on paper towels to drain excess oil. 🍌🔥
3. 32️⃣ Cook the Chicken Filling
4. 4In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper for 3 minutes. Add shredded chicken, salt, black pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, tomato sauce, sofrito, and green olives. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. 🍗🌿
5. 53️⃣ Assemble the Pastelón
6. 6Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a greased baking dish, layer half the fried plantains at the bottom. Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the plantains, then sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Add the remaining plantains as the top layer. 🍌🍗🧀
7. 74️⃣ Prepare the Egg Mixture
8. 8In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Pour evenly over the pastelón to help it set as it bakes. 🥚✨
9. 95️⃣ Bake & Serve
10. 10Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm and enjoy! 🍽️🔥