Piñon is a hearty plantain casserole made with layers of picadillo, fried ripe plantains, kidney beans and green beans. Try this Puerto Rican beef and plantain piñon recipe today!

Piñon Recipe

Puerto Rican Picadillo is one of my favorite dishes to make.

It’s incredibly fast, easy and flavorful since it’s seasoned with sofrito.

Usually we eat it served over rice, as a filling for empanadas or stuffed inside mashed potato balls known as Papas Rellenas.

Recently, however, I was searching for other ways to use picadillo and I came across this piñon recipe.

I found it in my Puerto Rican cookbook Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (I highly recommend getting it!).

Piñon is a country casserole made with plantains, beef and kidney beans.

The sweet and salty combo of plantains and picadillo is mouthwatering!

When I first saw the recipe, it seemed quite similar to another Puerto Rican dish called Pastelon, which also has fried ripe plantains and picadillo.

The main difference though, is that Pastelon doesn’t have any beans and the whole thing is “set” by using cheese and eggs as a binder, similar to a lasagna.

I made a few changes to the original recipe by adding green beans to the mix.

Gotta get your veggies! Plus, I like all-in-one meals.

The whole thing gets baked together and soaks up the flavor from the picadillo.

Mine is a bit crumbly when served, but the taste makes up for the messy appearance.

My husband served himself up a big bowl and went to town!

Traditionally, eggs are used as a binder for piñon. I usually skip this step for convenience sake, and the flavor is still the same.

If you would like it more solid like a meatloaf, here are the instructions:

• Beat two eggs with 3 tablespoons of water.
• Pour half into the bottom of your casserole dish before putting down the first layer of plantains.
• Pour the rest of the eggs evenly over the top of the casserole before baking.

Don’t forget a slice of silky smooth cheese flan for dessert! Puerto Rican Flan de Queso: