This coming weekend will be a long one here in the U.S. as we celebrate Labor Day on the 4th of September. It’ll be celebrated with parades, fireworks display, picnics, barbecue and all other fun events. Wohoo! It’s a way for us to honor those who labor, hustle and contribute to the American economy. So cheers to all of us who do the grind! It’s never easy, but at least we’re always a day closer to our end goals.
Whatever your plans are, make this long weekend a fun and memorable one. If parades and big events aren’t your thing, you can take a one last dip in the pool before we say goodbye to summer. Honestly, I’m going to truly miss all the fresh summer produce from my local farmer’s market and all other summer activities with my nieces, nephews and my son. One thing I won’t miss is the heat. I spent about a month in the southern region and boy it is hot over there! But fall season isn’t that bad either. It’s time for all those comforting soups, slow cooker recipes, pumpkin desserts, sweaters and jackets. It excites me while writing this.
But before you make your fall recipe list, you’ve got to put this rolled treat on your to-make list. This Pionono recipe is actually named after Pope Pious IX’s name “Pio Nono”. This treat has a lot of varieties but it’s widely known as a sponge cake rolled up around a sweet filling. It’s popular in Spain, South America and the Philippines – each having it’s own version. Here, I decided to go with the Puerto Rican Pionono which I substituted the pastry with sweet plantains. Yes, plantains – one of the best foods in the world! And you know me when it comes to plantains, I don’t hold back at all! Nope, not me. I live in the name of plantains!
The plantains in this recipe are vertically sliced, fried and rolled to cup the savory beef filling- Picadillo– and topped with a beaten egg to lock it all in place before its baked. Piononos are definitely pack with sweet and savory flavors that complement each other well. The filling is so satisfying that you can even have this for lunch or dinner. How’s that for versatility? This has become my new favorite plantain recipe recently – there are so many reasons to love this. You may enjoy this on regular days and even serve this up during parties. Just imagine how these babies here would sit gloriously on your table. Oooh..Drool-worthy!
As seen in the photos, this recipe might require some serious use of toothpicks to lock them together. But it’s not as hard as you think it is. Before you know it, you’ve locked these rolled plantains into place like a pro. I swear! Oh, you can certainly make it without tooth picks – check out method 2. Another great option is to make Plantain Lasagna. aka pastelon A Puerto Rican version of lasagna that is a combination of spiced beef sandwiched in layers of sweet plantains, topped with cheese or eggs.
So never say you’ve run out of ways to enjoy plantains, cause I’ve actually got tons of them. You may check my popular list of plantain recipes HERE. (**You’re welcome 😉 **) But before you get overwhelmed, I’d say start with this Pionono recipe and enjoy plantains in a new and exciting way. You’ll surely claim your Plantain Queen (or King!) spot once you make this. Enjoy! Tips and Notes: [adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”IHW0kWkm” upload-date=”2019-08-03T14:54:05.000Z” name=”Pionono” description=”Pionono (Stuffed Fried Plantain) — savory plantain rolls stuffed with tasty beef filling – Picadillo. An out-of-this-world Puerto Rican snack that’ll reminds you of sunshine and the blue sea. Truly a delectable sweet plantain and savory beef combo rolled into one!”]