Puerto Rican Sweet Potato and Beef Pastelón with Queso del País, Sweet Pepper Sofrito and Crispy Cassava Bread Crumble

Name: Puerto Rican Sweet Potato and Beef Pastelón with Queso del País, Sweet Pepper Sofrito and Crispy Cassava Bread Crumble
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Puertorriqueña
Ingredients: 2.6 lb sweet potato; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup milk; 1.1 lb ground beef; 1 cup yellow onion; 3 oz sweet mini peppers; 4 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup cilantro; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/3 cup green olives; 1/4 cup raisins; 1/2 cup beef broth; 6 oz Puerto Rican white cheese; 1 large egg; 2 oz cassava bread; 1/4 cup scallion

An original pastelón inspired by Puerto Rican flavors: layers of roasted mashed sweet potato, ground beef simmered with sofrito, olives and raisins, melted queso del país, and a crisp toasted cassava bread finish. Comforting, savory, and deeply Puerto Rican.

30 minPrep

55 minCook

85 minTotal

6Servings

Gluten-FreeHigh Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

1.2 kg sweet potato (pelada and cut en trozos large)
45 ml olive oil (divided)
8 g salt (or to taste, divided)
2 g black pepper (divided)
30 g butter (for the majado of batata)
120 ml milk (whole or al 2%)
500 g ground beef (85% magra approx.)
150 g yellow onion (chopped en cubitos)
90 g sweet mini peppers (without semillas and chopped)
12 g garlic (chopped)
15 g cilantro (chopped finely)
30 g tomato paste
1 g dried oregano
1 g ground cumin
60 g green olives (slices)
40 g raisins
120 ml beef broth
180 g Puerto Rican white cheese (grated or desmenuzado)
1 unit egg (beaten)
60 g cassava bread (desmenuzado)
20 g scallion (chopped for terminar)

Nutrition facts

per serving

472 kcal

Calories

24 g

Protein

36 g

Carbs

25 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

31 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

DairyEggs

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Place the sweet potato on a baking tray and toss with 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, 4 g (3/4 tsp) salt, and 1 g (1/4 tsp) black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until very tender.
2
While the sweet potato roasts, heat 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sweet peppers; cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
3
Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Add the cilantro, tomato paste, dried oregano, ground cumin, 2 g (1/2 tsp) salt, and 1 g (1/4 tsp) black pepper.
4
Stir in the green olives, raisins, and beef broth. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the filling is moist but not watery. Remove from the heat.
5
Transfer the roasted sweet potato to a large bowl and mash with the butter, milk, and beaten egg until thick and fairly smooth. Adjust with the remaining 2 g (1/4 tsp) salt if needed.
6
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F / 190°C. Lightly grease a baking dish about 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) with a little of the remaining oil.
7
Spread half of the mashed sweet potato in the bottom of the dish. Cover with all of the beef mixture and scatter 120 g (4 oz) of the Puerto Rican white cheese over it. Finish with the remaining sweet potato, smoothing the top with a spoon.
8
Mix the crumbled cassava bread with the remaining 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil and sprinkle it over the pastelón along with the remaining 60 g (2 oz) of cheese.
9
Bake at 375°F / 190°C for 20 minutes. Then switch on the broiler and brown for 2 to 4 minutes more, watching closely, until the cheese bubbles and the cassava bread turns crisp.
10
Let the pastelón rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Finish with the chopped scallion and serve hot.

Chef tips

For firmer slices, let the pastelón cool for 15 minutes before cutting. For deeper flavor, brown the beef well before adding the broth.

Substitutions

You can replace the ground beef with ground turkey. Queso del país can be swapped for low-moisture mozzarella or Monterey Jack. If you cannot find cassava bread, use a thin layer of gluten-free breadcrumbs for a crisp topping.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
View on Amazon
Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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