Provençal parmentier

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg potatoes
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 20 g butter
• 1 cup milk
• e.g. nutmeg
• 500 g minced meat, mixed
• 200 g zucchini
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• e.g. salt and pepper
• 1 pinch of cumin
• 1 pinch of sweet paprika powder
• 1 tsp herbs de Provence
• 1 pinch of chili powder
• 50 ml water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves, fresh
• 60 g cheese, grated
• 3 tbsp oil
• 6 tbsp butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

French minced meat and potato casserole

Wash the zucchini and cut into small cubes. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic clove. Peel the potatoes, quarter them, and cook in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the minced meat until crumbly. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika, and transfer to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Reduce the heat and sauté the diced onion. Then add the zucchini cubes and continue to fry gently. Now add the garlic clove. Fry the zucchini and onion mixture for another minute, about 1, and season with the herbs de Provence. Deglaze the pan with the water and simmer gently for 5 minutes, then season lightly with salt and pepper and add to the meat in the bowl. Season with the chili and let cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Heat the milk. Drain and mash the soft potatoes, add 20g of butter in pieces, and pour in the warm milk. The resulting mashed potatoes should be soft but not runny. Season the mash with nutmeg and, if desired, add more salt and pepper. Pour half of the mashed potatoes into a casserole dish and spread evenly. Add 20g of grated cheese and the beaten eggs to the cooled minced meat mixture. Stir everything together and pour the mixture over the mashed potatoes, sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. Then pour the other half of the mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly. Bake the casserole dish in the oven for 15 minutes. Then top with the remaining cheese and the flakes of butter. Return the dish to the oven, turn on the broiler, and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Then let the casserole rest in the switched-off oven for another 10 minutes. Serve the casserole with a green salad or tomato salad.