Portions: 6 portions Calories: 434kcal |
There's nothing like a steaming, pastel de papa, creamy mashed potato over a layer of juicy ground beef, a simple dinner that will leave no one unsatisfied. A potato and ground meat casserole is perfect for outdoor parties, or as a dish to freeze and serve another day.
By - Revised . Original Jan 11, 2015.
Pastel de Papa Potato & Ground Beef Pie [Video+Recipe].
Why we ❤️ it
- This juicy potato pie with ground beef and melted cheese hits the spot when you don't know what to serve and don't want to complicate your life.
- Filling and economical, this is the perfect dish to take to potlucks, or bring to someone in recovery or mourning.
- This is a fairly simplified version of a shepherd's pie, but you can adapt it to your liking by following my advice to use other healthier or more economical meats or add more ingredients and vegetables.
Pastel de Papa Potato & Ground Beef Pie [Video+Recipe]
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
Ground beef filling
- ¾ pound ground beef, or veal, or 50/50 beef and pork [0.34 kg]
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste, divided
- 1½ teaspoons salt, or more to taste, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup tomato sauce
Mashed potatoes
- 1 pound starchy potatoes, [0.45 kg] peeled, washed, cut, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup whole milk, [60 ml]
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or mozzarella and Cheddar mix
Video
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375ºF [190ºC].
2. Season the meat
Season the ground meat with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1½ teaspoons salt.Mix well.
3. Cook the meat
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat, add the seasoned meat, and cook, stirring, until browned. Add the tomato sauce. Stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is juicy without too much liquid.Taste and add pepper and salt to taste, if necessary.
4. Boil the potatoes
- In a large pot or saucepan, place the potatoes and enough water to cover them plus 1 inch [2.5 centimeters] above the potatoes. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water.Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 17 minutes).Drain the water, discard the garlic, and place the potatoes in a large bowl.
5. Mash the potatoes
- Using a potato masher or ricer, mash the potatoes, incorporating the garlic powder, butter and adding milk slowly as you go until the potatoes are very smooth and creamy, but still cling to the spoon when it is turned upside down.⚠️ You may need to add less or more milk than listed, different as potatoes may absorb more or less liquid.Try the potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mold
- Spread the meat filling evenly in the baking dish. Then cover with grated cheese.Spread the potatoes over the cheese. You can use a pastry bag with a large tip to make rosettes with the potatoes.⚠️ If you are using a piping bag, it is best to chill the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator for an hour so that the rosettes have more definition.
7. Bake
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly browned.Remove from the oven and let it cool for five minutes before serving.
Top tips
- Ground beef picadillo: For a more complex filling rich in vegetables, you can use this picadillo recipe instead of the filling in this recipe.
- Other meats: You can substitute ground pork or ground turkey for the ground beef, depending on your preference. The preparation process is the same.
- Storage: You can refrigerate this potato casserole before baking, so it's ready hours before dinner. I recommend no more than three or four hours, as it will begin to affect its consistency.
- Freezing leftovers: You can freeze leftovers in a tightly sealed freezer container. It is best to cover the potatoes with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out in the freezer. They will keep for up to a month.
- Meatless version: You can use this vegan picadillo recipe for the filling, but remember that the mashed potato here is not vegan.
Serving suggestions
Pastel de papa goes very well with a light salad, and you won't need anything else for a delicious dinner.
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Learn more
Pastel de papa, the Latino Cottage Shepherd's pie, is a common dish throughout Latin America.
In Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic it is called Pastelón de papa, and it has two layers of mashed potatoes. In South America (Argentina and Chile, for example) boiled eggs, raisins and/or chopped olives may be added to the filling.
You can try these options too.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Hi, Clara. I made this recipe and it was lovely. Bless you for sharing your recipes.
Excellent recipe. It was very breeze to make and everyone liked it. I didn't make it that fancy, just spread the potato with the back of a spoon, but it worked. Thank you!
I am SO very happy you liked it! Thanks for trying it.