Call it the Lebanese version of “shepherd’s pie”! A simple homey comfort dish, “Lebanese Potato Souffle” aka “Batata Souffle” is a casserole consisting of a layer of cooked minced meat sandwiched between two blankets of creamy mashed potatoes, and topped with breadcrumbs; fluffy underneath with crispy, crunchy surface. The melt-in-your-mouth “Lebanese Potato Souffle” is rich, tasty and will have a well-deserved place on your table. Watch the video tutorial to learn how to make it!
Lebanese Potato Souffle (Video)
A treasured Lebanese recipe that my mom and granny made often during holidays and family reunions. I followed their recipe but tweaked a littel bit and I turned it from good to even excellent. While I love the recipes I share with you here on the website, but my all-time-favorite’s are honestly in my cookbook. To carry on my moms and granny’s special traditions, I put the “Potato Souffle”recipe in my book! Hadia, Lebanese Style Recipes covers irresistible family meals including soups, salads, appetizers, eggs, pastries, yogurt dishes, stuffed food, grains, pasta, gratin, chicken, fish, meat, sauces, sweet pastries, cold cakes, cakes, tarts, pies, oriental sweets and jam and pickles. The recipes in the book are simple and require no fancy or specialty appliances to prepare. Each of these recipes is a true labor of love that was created at home, in my own kitchen where I shared every bite of every recipe with my family and friends. The recipes are clearly written with easy instructions and stunning photos so you can look at the pictures and get inspiration. I have included many of the popular Lebanese recipes that I grew up eating as well as a vibrant melting pot of striking flavors from around the world that I discovered through my travels. My goal in this book is to make the process of cooking and baking less intimidating and more enjoyable to home cooks. The cookbook is full of recipes that are accessible for both new and experienced home cooks, there is something for everybody in this book! You will feel proud serving these recipes to your family and friends.
Now back to our “Lebanese Potato Souffle”! It is easy and quite basic to put together and when you pull this out of the oven, your whole house will smell like heaven. Mashed potatoes are great, but including a layer of minced lamb will take the dish to a step further. In Lebanon we are of a both beef and lamb-eating culture, so the dish is doable with either meat. If you like the flavor profile of lamb, I recommend you go for it. I even altered the classic recipe a bit to suit my taste preference, where I added Parmesan cheese to the pureed potatoes and chopped spinach to the meat filling; both ingredients brought the mash and the filling to a whole life.
What goes in my Lebanese Potato Souffle?
- Potatoes, use starchy potatoes for deeper flavors, and mash them with a potato masher or a food mill to ensure that the mash doesn’t end up gummy. A food processor or blender is not recommended.
- Minced lamb or beef, both are great, though I gravitate more to lamb.
- Onion, I used red onion, but you can substitute any variety.
- Parmesan cheese: has a bold flavor that compliments the flavors in the mashed potatoes.
- Heavy cream, for a more luxurious creamy taste.
- Breadcrumbs. I made my own breadcrumbs from scratch, but you can use panko breadcrumbs.
- Butter, to enrich the flavor of mashed potatoes.
- Oil: sunflower oil or any neutral to sauté the filling.
- Spinach: to increase the nutritional value and to add more flavor to the filling.
- An egg to brush the surface of the casserole before adding the breadcrumbs.
- Seasoning: after much testing, I found freshly grated black pepper, cinnamon powder, grated nutmeg, onion powder and sea salt are all what is needed.
How to make the mashed Potatoes?
Peel the potatoes and cut to medium cubes. Add to large pot and cover with fresh water. Season with sea salt and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover up and keep for 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash well using a potato masher, (food processor or blender is not recommended at all) add the butter, grated Parmesan, grated nutmeg, crushed black pepper and sea salt. Stir well to homogenize the mash. Set aside.
How to assemble the dish?
Grease a large baking dish and evenly spread half of the mashed potatoes over it. Evenly spoon the filling of meat and spinach on top. Gently spread the remaining mashed potatoes on top to cover the meat filling, making sure to keep everything neat. Putting the upper pie layer is trickier than it might seem. A small trick worth mentioning while adding the top layer is to dip a spoon in water and gently spread the mashed potatoes to avoid messing up the layer of mashed potatoes with the meat filling. Beat the egg with a drop of vinegar and generously brush the top with the egg; add the breadcrumbs evenly and bake for 20-25 minutes to a golden color.
Can I make a vegetarian version of “Lebanese Potato Souffle”?
Yes you can, though the authentic version would undoubtedly contain meat. You can replace meat by 1 kg/ 2 lb. of sliced button mushrooms, and the result would be great.
Lebanese Potato Souffle
Description
Ingredients
- 2 kg/ 4lb. 8oz russet potatoes
- 1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves
- 500 g/ 1 lb. 2oz. mined lamb or beef
- 1 large onion
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup breadcrumbs preferably panko
- 1 egg beaten with a drop of vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons canola or sunflower oil
- A dash of grated nutmeg
- A dash of freshly grated black or white pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the mashed potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut to medium cubes. Add to large pot and cover with fresh water. Season with sea salt and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover up and keep for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F with a rack in the center.
- While potatoes cook, prepare the filling: With a sharp knife, finely chop the onions and roughly chop the spinach.
- In a large wide skillet, add the oil and swirl the pan to evenly coat its base. Over high heat, add the minced meat and brown until no pink remains. Stir in the onions and cook for 2 minutes, then follow with the chopped spinach; and keep on sauteing until the leaves wilt. Season with sea salt and a pinch of both cinnamon powder and freshly grated black pepper. Set aside.
- Drain the potatoes and mash well using a potato masher, add the butter, grated Parmesan, grated nutmeg, crushed black pepper and sea salt, and give a quick stir. Add the heavy cream and mix well to homogenize the mash. Set aside.
- To assemble: Grease a large baking dish and evenly spread half of the mashed potatoes over it. Spread the filling of meat and spinach on top. Gently spread the remaining mashed potatoes on top to cover the meat filling, making sure to keep everything neat. A small trick worth mentioning while adding the top layer is to dip a spoon in water and gently spread the mashed potatoes to avoid messing up the layer of mashed potatoes with the meat filling.
- Beat the egg with a drop of vinegar and generously brush the top with the egg; add the breadcrumbs evenly and bake
- Bake for 20-25 minutes to a golden color. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes, allowing the souffle to cool down a bit and thicken just up slightly. Use a metal spatula to score and scoop pretty portions onto individual plates. Happy eating!
Video
Notes
If you make "Lebanese Potato Souffle", leave a comment below, or share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine
4 Comments
That looks delicious Hadia! We don’t have ground lamb available, but I will make a note to try it with ground beef. I love the simple ingredients and just an exchange of breadcrumbs will make it gluten free for me.
What temperature for baking this?