Pastelón de Papas (Potatoes and Beef Casserole)
Creamy, cheesy and absolutely tasty, this Mashed Potatoes and Beef Casserole is a perfect make ahead dinner for busy nights.
Pastelón de Papas (Potatoes and Beef Casserole) is probably one of the easiest dishes for a foreigner to appreciate in the Dominican cuisine, which isn’t always the case, as some may require a process of discovery and adaptation to the local taste.
For working parents like myself, the time for easy meals has finally come. Nothing makes a working mom happier, than the ability to get home and put together a delicious meal without to much hassle. Well, I can think of a couple of things: wine and not having to cook at all. The wine can be negotiable, but not cooking at all is not a luxury many of us have. I mean, people have to eat. Right?
So get ready to eat and enjoy!
Ingredients:
How to make minced beef filling
2 lb [0.91 kg] of ground beef
1 teaspoon of salt (or more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 onion diced into tiny cubes
1 cubanella pepper diced into very small cubes
2 garlic cloves , crushed
A pinch of oregano
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (soy, corn or peanut)
1 cup of water
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon of parsley finely chopped
How to make Potato Casserole
2 lb [0.91 kg] of potatoes , peeled
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt (or more, to taste)
1 tablespoon of parsley , chopped finely
2 egg yolks (optional)
2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese
1/ cup of grated Cheddar (optional)
Butter for greasing the pan
Instructions:
How to make minced beef filling
Season the meat with salt, pepper, onions, cubanella pepper, garlic, and oregano.
In a shallow pan heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and brown. Add water and the tomato sauce. Simmer over medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated.
Taste and season with salt to taste if you find it necessary. Mix in parsley.
Remove from the heat and reserve.
How to make Potato Casserole
Heat the oven at 350 ºF [170 ºC]. Grease a 9" x 9" x 3" [23 cm x 23 cm x 9cm] baking pan.
Boil the potatoes until they are cooked through. Mash the potatoes, while still warm, until there aren't any lumps.
Mix in potatoes milk, butter, garlic powder and salt to taste. Mix in parsley and yolks. Spread half of this mixture in the baking pan, cover with half the mozzarella. Top with the meat filling and then the remaining half of the mozzarella.
Finally cover with the remaining potatoes and sprinkle with Cheddar. Bake until the top is light golden and cheese is bubbly.
Serve hot with green salad.