A rich, comforting casserole with juicy seasoned meatballs, tender potato slices, tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
- 700 g ground beef
- 4–5 medium potatoes
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 egg
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 100 ml water or beef stock
- 200–250 g shredded mozzarella
- 40 g grated Parmesan, optional
- Extra parsley for serving
Prepare the meatballs
Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until everything is evenly combined.
Shape the mixture into medium meatballs, about the size of a small walnut. You should get approximately 16–20 meatballs.
Prepare the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices about 7–10 mm thick. Toss them with a little olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
For extra-tender potatoes, you can boil the slices for 5 minutes, then drain them before assembling.
Make the sauce
Mix the tomato sauce with the tomato paste, water or beef stock, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and a little oregano.
Assemble
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F.
Lightly grease a round baking dish. Arrange the meatballs evenly around the dish, placing potato slices between and around each meatball, similar to the pattern shown in the photo.
Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the bottom and between the potatoes and meatballs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
First bake
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for about 35–45 minutes, until the potatoes are almost completely tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
For safety, the center of the meatballs should reach at least 71°C / 160°F.
Add the cheese
Remove the foil and generously cover the top with shredded mozzarella. Add Parmesan if desired.
Return the dish to the oven uncovered for another 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and golden brown.
For an extra-golden top, broil/grill for the final 2–3 minutes, watching carefully.
Serve
Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Total time: about 1 hour
Servings: 5–6
Oven: 190°C / 375°F
Tip: For an extra creamy version, add about 150 ml cooking cream to the tomato sauce before pouring it over the potatoes and meatballs.