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Turkey Pastelón

A Cuban-style lasagna made with layers of sauteed sweet plantains and spicy turkey picadillo, baked under a layer of melted cheese.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Caribbean
Servings: 9 people

Ingredients

For the Turkey Picadillo:

  • 1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup Onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. Cilantro
  • 4 oz. Tomato sauce (1/2 can)
  • salt
  • ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. alcaparrado, capers or olives

For the Pastelón:

  • cooking spray
  • 4 ripe plantains peeled and sliced into thin strips
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 3 large egg whites beaten
  • 2 Tbsp. Milk fat free
  • 1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese

Instructions

  • Brown the ground turkey on medium heat in large saute pan and season with salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into small pieces.
  • Add the chopped onions, garlic, salt, pepper, tomato and cilantro and continue cooking on a low heat. Add alcaparrado and about 2 tbsp. of the brine, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and more salt if needed. Add tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x9 baking dish with oil. Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. When hot, spray with oil to lightly coat the bottom. Cook plantains for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden; set aside.
  • Assemble lasagna by layering the plantains, then the cooked turkey picadillo, then about 1/4 cup of cheese, and repeat. You want to finish with a layer of plantains. Beat the egg and egg whites with 2 tbsp. of milk and pour over the pastelón to help bind everything, letting it sit for a minute or two to soak in. Top off with remaining cheese. Cover tight with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until completely heated through. Cut into 9 equal pieces and serve.