Cuban Lasagna

Name: Cuban Lasagna
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic red and yellow diced tomatoes, undrained; 4 mostly black plantains; Vegetable oil; 1/2 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives; 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz); 3 eggs; 2 tablespoons milk

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Prep 25 min
Total 60 min
Servings 8

We put a Cuban taste twist on traditional lasagna by substituting plantains for noodles.

By Deborah Harroun

Updated August 30, 2012

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic red and yellow diced tomatoes, undrained
4 mostly black plantains
Vegetable oil
1/2 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk

Steps

1

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook about 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in oregano, cumin and coriander. Cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes.
3

Meanwhile, peel plantains; cut each lengthwise into thin strips. In heavy skillet, heat about 1/4 inch oil Fry plantain strips until golden brown on each side. Remove from skillet to paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
4

Once beef mixture has simmered and thickened, stir in olives and cilantro. Remove from heat.
5

To prepare lasagna, arrange one-third of plantains in even layer in bottom of baking dish. Top with half of beef mixture. Sprinkle one-third of cheese over beef. Arrange second one-third of plantains over cheese, followed by remaining beef mixture. Top with another one-third of cheese. Arrange last one-third of plantains on top. Sprinkle with half of remaining cheese.
6

In small bowl, beat eggs and milk with whisk. Pour over top of layered ingredients in baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
7

Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

The blacker the plantains are, the riper and sweeter they will be. This recipe is best when they are mostly black, but not completely black.
Assemble the lasagna ahead of time and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before dinnertime. Add an additional 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.