Somethin's Cookin' So Let's Eat: Plantain Casserole

This dish is one of my favorite Dominican "comfort foods"......it looks like a shepherd pie but it has you fooled!! It has a wonderful surprise of sweet and savory! The sweet buttery plantains cradle the savory flavor of the ground beef filling with cheddar cheese sprinkled in between the layers.
Plantains look like bananas on steroids.......here is a great link to learn more about the history and nutritional value of plantains...http://grabemsnacks.com/what-is-a-plantain.html.......

6 very ripe plantains

water to cover

1 tsp. salt

1/4 C. butter

1 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided into thirds

1 lb. ground beef

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 small or half a medium red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. water

1 heaping T. tomato paste

Salt and Pepper to taste

The darker the plantains are, the sweeter they are. These are the ones I used and they were just right!

Peel plantains and place in a pan with water to cover. Add 1 tsp. salt...bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until soft and a deeper yellow.

While plantains are cooking, shred cheese, divide into thirds and set aside.

Chop bell pepper and onion and mince the garlic. Place them in a skillet with ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add water and tomato paste and stir to mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for abut 10 minutes. Remove from heat, (drain fat if needed) and set aside.

Now back to the plantains!...drain the water off and place them in a bowl. Mash with a fork and add butter. Stir vigorously until smooth and butter is incorporated.

Now to put it all together!.....Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Start layering by placing half the plantain mixture in the bottom. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top......add all of the meat mixture.....sprinkle another 1/3 of the cheese on top of meat......Then the rest of the plantains and top with the rest of the cheese.