Healthy Cuban Lasagna – YEP I’ve merged two very different cultures all for the sake of your eating purposes (and mine). I think on the hierarchy of my favorite foods it’s Asian and then Latin, probably I grew up quite close to Miami. I love Cuban food and I also love a good fusion dish. This is definitely something easy to make for a group or just to have leftovers for the week (oh hiiiii meal prep).
What is Picadillo?
Picadillo is a Cuban ground beef dish that typically has green olives and lots of spices. This is my version, *i’m not Cuban*, but I put lots of love in it.
What is Cashew Queso?
This recipe is something I developed quite a few years ago when I wanted queso but was also trying to limit dairy in my diet. Cashews lend a creamy texture and when they’re paired with some hot sauce, and nutritional yeast, it’s quite cheesy.
How Do I Layer Lasagna Noodles?
There are a few options for the healthy Cuban lasagna here: 1. Just layer them on the bottom (you can probably fit 3, lengthwise. I used the Banza noodles. 2. Layer them lengthwise and then break pieces of other noodles to fill in the gaps on the sides. The adventure is yours.
How Do I store Leftover Cuban Lasagna?
Cut into squares and keep in the fridge for about 1 week or freeze for 2 weeks- 1 month
This Healthy Cuban Lasagna recipe really combines my loves and some of my favorite flavors. I’m a huge sweet and salty fan, so the sweet plantains in here are what I am living for! It’s also just a fun twist on a classic lasagna, which is delicious but can be so heavy and honestly, not that great for you.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know below!
Cuban Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Grass-Fed Ground Beef
- ½ cup Green Olives Pitted
- 1 Medium Sized Onion diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic diced
- 1 Packet Goya Sazon con Azafran
- 1 Cashew Queso Recipe
- 9 Lasagna Noodles I used Banza
- 2 Yellow Plantains cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ cup Pico de Gallo store bought is fine
Instructions
- In a pan on medium high heat add avocado oil, add in plantains in one even layer (if you need to do this in batches, it’s worth it) cook on each side until brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt and set aside
- In a frying pan on medium high heat, add 1 tsp avocado oil, and onion and saute until they’re translucent
- Add garlic and saute, stirring continuously until fragrant (about 1 minute), add sazon and move around the pan with a spatula
- Add ground beef, breaking it up with your spatula and cooking until it is no longer pink
- Add green olives and additional salt as needed. Turn the heat down to medium low and let simmer 10 minutes.
- In a 9×13 baking dish, cover the bottom with lasagna noodles. Add about ¼ cup of the beef mixture onto each noodle, making sure it’s spread out all along it.
- Sprinkle on Plantains, and drizzle cashew queso on each noodle, repeat until you run out of ingredients, ending with noodles on top
- Bake at 350 covered, for 40 minutes or until noodles are soft
Notes
