Pastelon by Annalysse Melendez

First preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Using Ripe Yellow Plantains use a cutting board as well as a knife to peel the skin off the plantain. Continue until all plantains have been fully peeled and proceed to cut the Yellow Plantains in half vertically. Then sliced into ¼ inch horizontally each half plantain should give for 3 to 4 pieces. Repeat this process until all are cut. Next cut your Polly-O block cheese vertically ¼ inch thick.

Using a pot or a large saucepan on the stove top over medium heat add vegetable oil and garlic until fragrant then add your ground beef to the pot, stir around and cook until a light brown color, adding Italian seasoning to the taste. Once your beef is seasoned and cooked add in the can of spaghetti meat sauce add the ¼ cup of merlot wine into the can and swirl until all sauce from the can is mixed with wine, stir once more and set aside at a simmer.

While the beef is still cooking, begin to fry the Yellow Plantains, frying for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until a nice golden brown color, when tasting make sure they are sweet!

Finally time for assembly! Like a lasagna, use a little of the meat sauce in the bottom and spread it over the bottom of a deep quarter sheet pan, proceed to place down fried maduros/plantains neatly side by side until the whole pan is covered (does not have to be fully covered there may be gaps. Pour meat sauce and cover all plantains entirely. Add sliced mozzarella cheese you can pour excess meat sauce over the cheese and then cover with more slices of fried plantains. Some use a beaten egg to bind the pastelon however I personally do not but for the event it may be recommended for a clean and nice cut into squares.

To finish off our Pastelon, put in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.