Crafts & DIY
Arrange sliced potatoes with meatballs and cheese – bake for a delicious French treat
Cook like a French chef with this delicious and easy dinner recipe!
Tania Nemtzidou
09.21.20

One of the most frequent reasons that make people want to visit France is the opportunity to try the world-famous French Cuisine. Usually, when people think of France they mainly think of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but these aren’t the only things to see nor experience in the country, and of course not the only reasons that make France a popular tourist destination.

Pixabay
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Pixabay

According to Paul Freedman, Professor of History at Yale University, “Since the 18th century, France had been equated with gastronomic prestige. The focus of its cuisine has been simplicity, developed as a reaction against medieval reliance on spices; instead of possessing a sharp or sugary taste, its dishes contained butter, herbs, and sauces based on meat juices to create a rich, smooth flavor”.

Pixabay
Source:
Pixabay

And, who can argue with the previous statement? Undoubtedly, French cuisine is globally highly regarded. In the U.S, it was first introduced when President Thomas Jefferson had sent his servants to France to learn new cooking techniques. However, it was Julia Child who brought the French cuisine to America, or more likely into America’s households with her cooking books and cooking tv show.

Nowadays in the reigning era of the internet, people have access to a vast number of recipes that are available online and they can try making their own French dish!

Flickr
Source:
Flickr

Below you will find a delicious recipe for Gratin Parmentier that has become awfully popular recently. The recipe went viral and it’s quite easy and quick to execute and in the end, you will enjoy a dish with an amazing combination of flavors.

You will need the following Ingredients:

A) For the Dish:
3 potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 white onion
1 package of ground beef
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
1 pinch of paprika
1 large bag of shredded mozzarella
bechamel sauce
salt
pepper

B) For the Bechamel sauce:
5 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
4 cups of milk
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Instructions:

1. First we prepare the béchamel sauce that we will use later. First, get a medium saucepan and melt your butter over medium-low heat. Add in flour and stir it all up until it gets smooth. Keep cooking your mixture until it all turns a light golden color, for about six or seven minutes.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

2. While you wait for the mixture to be cooked, heat your milk in a separate pan until it’s almost at a boil. Once it’s hot enough, gradually add your hot milk one cup at a time to the butter, continually whisking the entire time until it’s smooth. Once all the milk is incorporated, bring the whole thing to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring it constantly. In the end, add the salt and the nutmeg and it’s ready!

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

3. Now that the béchamel is ready, we need to prepare the main part of the dish. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, get a big bowl and throw in your package of beef along with your chopped parsley and paprika. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Once all the ingredients are together, mix together all the ingredients until they’re evenly combined.

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YouTube Screenshot

4. Next, prepare the potatoes. Peel three potatoes and boil them until they’re semi-soft, around seven minutes. Once they’re ready, take them out and chop them into slices, arranging them around the bottom of a round glass baking dish. Lay one layer flat on the bottom and arrange another layer around the sides as well.

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YouTube Screenshot

5. After that, get your meat mixture and work it into ice cream scoop-sized meatballs—the entire thing should form about 15 meatballs. Next, arrange them on your slices of potato that you laid out earlier.

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YouTube Screenshot

6. Once you’ve got your meatballs placed together, use your remaining slices of potato to put walls between the meatballs so each one has its own compartment. Pour your béchamel sauce into each one of the “compartments” until it’s relatively full and top the entire thing with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

7. Finally, throw the entire dish in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. Once the dish is ready remove it from the oven and wait 5 minutes before serving it. And, Bon Appétit!

YouTube Screenshot
Source:
YouTube Screenshot

If you would like to see the preparation of the dish step by step, check out the video below.

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