Chilean Potato Pie (Pastel de Papas)
Ingredients
5 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons butter, or to taste
salt to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons shredded panquehue cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Mash the hot potatoes with butter and salt. Let cool until just warm; stir in the beaten egg until smooth.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste; continue cooking until the tomatoes soften and begin to lose their shape. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the panquehue cheese and parsley; season to taste with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Spread half of the mashed potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with the ground beef mixture, then spread the remaining mashed potatoes over the beef to completely cover.
Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes are hot and the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
