During the fall and winter months, I enjoy shepherd’s pie–or cottage pie, if I make it with beef instead of lamb.  A few years ago, I learned about a French approach to cottage pie called Hachis Parmentier.

While many variations on the basic recipe exist throughout France, the one I have settled into is rather simple: a thick layer of cheesy mashed potatoes over a base layer of seasoned ground beef.  Some people like to dice vegetables and mix it in with the meat, but I prefer to have my vegetables on the side.

Ingredients:

two pounds of lean ground beef
two tablespoons of finely-diced garlic, garlic paste, or garlic powder
one tablespoon of dried thyme or thyme powder
one teaspoon of hot paprika
one teaspoon of salt (or additional salt, to taste)
one tablespoon of crushed black pepper
four large yellow potatoes
one stick of butter (Kerrygold for me)
two ounces of Gruyère cheese, finely grated
heavy cream to bring the potatoes to the proper consistency
salt and pepper to taste for the potatoes

Preparation:

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, mixing in the seasonings at the start.  Transfer when done to a bowl lined with paper towels, then to a medium-sized casserole dish, using the ground beef to create that bottom layer.

Dice the potatoes and boil them for fifteen to twenty minutes in salted water.  Strain thoroughly, then add the butter, Gruyère, salt, and pepper.  Mash and blend with an electric mixer, adding cream if necessary to get a consistency that will hold form but be spreadable in the casserole.  Spread the potatoes over the top of the ground beef.  NOTE: Unlike with shepherd’s pie, it is typically not the custom to score the surface of the potatoes with a fork, but to each his or her own.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the top of the potatoes are brown.

I sometimes make a gravy of reduced beef stock and red wine, thickened with a knob of roux, but this is not necessary.

I enjoy this dish with a side of asparagus or Brussels sprouts and a glass of hearty red wine.

I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers March 2024 Slice of Life Challenge.