🥔 Cheesy French-Style Potato & Meatball Bake
Ingredients
- 3 large potatoes
- 1 chopped white onion
- 500 g (1 lb) ground beef
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup beef or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
👨🍳 Directions
- Prepare the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water for about 8–10 minutes, just until slightly tender. Drain, let them cool briefly, then slice them into rounds.
- Make the meatballs: In a bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, half of the chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika. Mix gently and shape into small meatballs.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides for about 5–7 minutes. They don’t need to be fully cooked yet.
- Prepare the sauce: In the same skillet, sauté the remaining onion until softened. Pour in the broth and heavy cream, stirring gently to combine.
- Assemble: Arrange the sliced potatoes in a greased baking dish. Place the browned meatballs over the potatoes and pour the creamy onion sauce evenly over everything.
- Add the cheese: Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan generously over the top.
- Bake: Cover loosely with foil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
- Finish: Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve warm.
⏱️ Time
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
🍴 Servings: 4–6