Hachis Parmentier (French beef and potato pie)
The French family classic: savoury minced beef with onion, carrot and mushroom under a thick layer of nutmeg-scented mashed potato, topped with Gruyère and baked until the crust is golden. It reheats beautifully the next day.
- Time
- 75 min (25 prep + 50 cook)
- Servings
- 4
- Per serving
- 543 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
Ingredients
Mash
- 2 lb gold potatoes, floury or all-purpose, peeled, in large chunks
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2/3 cup 1% milk, warm
- a good pinch nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 small carrots, finely diced or grated
- 5 1/2 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 lb 2 oz ground beef (90% lean)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2/3 cup beef broth
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Topping
- 1/2 cup gruyere, grated
Steps
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the potatoes in a large pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, mushrooms and half the salt and cook for 10 minutes, until soft and the mushrooms have stopped giving off water.
- Stir in the garlic, then add the beef and break it up. Cook over high heat for 5–6 minutes, until browned and 160°F. Stir in the tomato puree, broth, thyme and pepper and simmer for 8 minutes, until saucy but not wet. Stir in the parsley and spread in a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12-inch) baking dish.
- Drain the potatoes well and let them steam for a minute. Mash until smooth, then beat in the butter, warm milk, nutmeg and the rest of the salt.
- Spread the mash over the beef, rough up the top with a fork and scatter with the Gruyère. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and bubbling at the edges. Rest for 5 minutes. It keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months; reheat in the oven until piping hot.
Good to know
Can I use leftover pot roast?
Yes, and leftovers are a very good use for this dish. Chop or shred about 400 g of cooked beef and stir it in with the broth, simmering just 5 minutes.
Can I use leaner beef?
Yes, 95 % lean works because the broth keeps it moist, at about 55 instead of 50.
Per
- Calories
- 115
- Protein
- (26%)
- 7 g
- Fat
- (39%)
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- (35%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 250 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2171 kcal goes into the pot and 2342 g of ingredients comes out as about 1890 g of food: 115 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.