What is Hachis Parmentier?
Hachis Parmentier is a classic French dish with mashed potato and minced meat.
Hachis comes from ” hacher’ meaning to chop off, as it’s a way to recycle left over meat.
Parmentier comes from Antoine Augustin Parmentier , who is famous for having introduced potatoes to the French back in the XVIIIth Century. There’s even a metro station in Paris called Pamentier.
This is one of my kids favorite dish.
The closest English translation I could find is Shepherd Pie. My version uses minced beef instead of lamb. I still remember when I discovered duck Parmentier in a Bed and Breakfast near Bordeaux back in 2007.
Here are two recipes for you:
- a super easy one I learnt as a early from one of my best friend’s mum, 30 min including cooking time
- a healthier one with fresh produces and more veggies, takes a hour including cooking time
Super Easy version (30 min)
Easy Hachis Parmentier Ingredients, serves 6 (or 4 + 2 lunch boxes the next day)
- mashed potato powder, 2 packs that serve 3 each
- 500 g minced beef
- one onion
- laughing cow cheese slices
- shredded cheese (emmental rapé in France, Pizza mix in Australia etc…)
- milk
- spices: parsley, paprika, garlic
Easy Hachis Parmentier Recipe:
- Cook up the mashed potato powder as per instruction on the pack (i.e. pour the powder into boiling water or milk)
- Add salt, pepper and butter to taste
- Chop up the onion, brown in a pan with oil or butter
- Add the minced beef, season with spices, cook until brown
- Preheat the over to 200 degrees
- Pour half the mash potato into a baking dish, stretch it as a base layer (see picture below)
- Add the meat as a second layer
- Place cheese slices as a third layer
- Top it up with the rest of the mash potato
- Sprinkle some grated cheese on top
- Place the dish in the over for 4 minutes til the cheese is brown and crispy
Voila!
Healthy version, step by step with pictures (1 hour)
I thought I’d sneak in some more veggies that will not only add fiber and vitamins but also a bit of texture. As a result, my 9 year old made peace with zucchinis!!!
Healthy Hachis Parmentier Ingredients:
- 1 kg potatoes
- 1 or 2 carrots
- half a zucchini
- one clove garlic
- one onion
- 500g minced beef
- cheese slices, you can use real cheese instead of laughing cow slices
- shredded cheese
- spices: parsley, paprika, oregano…
- nutmeg
- butter
- light sour cream (optional)
Healthy Hachis Parmentier Cooking instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes
- Boil them for 25 min in salted water
- Brown an onion and thinly chopped carrots until soft. Season with spices, salt and pepper.
- Add 500g minced beef and finely chopped zucchinis (half peeled), they should stay crispy
5. Preheat your oven to 200 Celsius
6. Rub half a garlic clove over all your baking dish.
7. Add warm milk so your mashed potatoes have the right texture, add salted butter, sprinkle some nutmeg, add in the crushed the left over garlic. Wanna go wild? Add some sour cream and even truffle oil!
8. Lay half the mash as a base layer
9. Pour all the meat on top
10. Add a layer of cheese, could be French like Emmental, Comté , Cantal, or Norwegian or Danish cheese (Jarlsberg), even Mozzarella or Pizza Mix. Not Blue Cheese, Camembert or Parmesan though.
11. Put the rest of the mash on top
12. Add shredded cheese on top
13. Bake for 4 min in the oven until the cheese is brown
Enjoy!
You can serve with a green salad to make it even healthier.
Discover more of my family friendly recipes here! or further below.
How about you? What is your favorite healthy yet kids friendly recipe! Please share with us!
Thanks for sharing