Golden cheese • tender potatoes • juicy meatballs • one-pan comfort food
This impressive-looking dish is a complete meal baked in one pan. The first picture shows raw meatballs arranged neatly with potato slices standing upright between them. The second photo shows the finished masterpiece: bubbly, melted cheese, golden edges, and soft potatoes infused with rich meat juices. Below is a long, highly detailed recipe you can follow to replicate it perfectly.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 500 g ground beef (or half beef, half lamb)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 egg (optional, for binding)
For the Potatoes
- 4–5 medium potatoes
- Salt for seasoning
- A drizzle of olive oil
For the Sauce
- 1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sugar (to balance acidity)
- ½ cup water or broth
For the Cheese Topping
- 1 to 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- Optional: a little cheddar or parmesan for deeper flavor
Step 1: Prepare the Meatballs
In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly with your hands. If you’re adding an egg, incorporate it now.
Mixing by hand ensures the meat fibers bind properly, producing tender but cohesive meatballs. Avoid over-mixing; it can make them dense.
Shape the mixture into medium-sized balls — slightly larger than golf balls — just like in the photo. Aim for equal size so they cook evenly.
Place the shaped meatballs temporarily in the fridge while preparing the potatoes.
Step 2: Prepare the Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and slice them into thick wedges or planks about 1–1.5 cm wide. These slices need to be sturdy enough to stand upright between the meatballs, so do not slice too thinly.
Season them lightly with salt and coat them in a little olive oil.
You may keep them raw for this recipe (the oven time cooks them beautifully), but if you want them extra soft, you can parboil for 5 minutes only. Do not fully cook them; they must hold their shape.
Step 3: Assemble the Dish
Use a round or oval baking dish (glass or ceramic works well). Begin arranging the components exactly as seen in your photo:
- Place a meatball.
- Stand a potato slice vertically next to it.
- Place another meatball.
- Follow with another potato slice.
Continue around the dish until you have a circular pattern of alternating potatoes and meatballs. The beauty of this recipe comes from this arrangement: each potato slice supports the meatballs, and the meatballs flavor the potatoes as they bake.
Once arranged, the raw dish should look like the top image — symmetrical, upright wedges holding juicy meatballs.
Step 4: Prepare the Sauce
In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, black pepper, paprika, sugar, and ½ cup water or broth. This sauce keeps everything moist and infuses the potatoes with a subtle tang and savory richness.
Pour the sauce gently over and around the arranged meatballs and potatoes. It should not fully submerge them but should reach about halfway up. The sauce thickens in the oven and becomes incredibly flavorful.
Step 5: Bake – First Stage (Without Cheese)
Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
Cover the dish lightly with foil. Do not seal too tight; leave room for steam to circulate.
Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until:
- The potatoes start to soften
- The meatballs release their juices
- Most of the liquid has reduced
- The top begins to take on a light golden tint
Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of this stage to allow the tops to brown slightly before adding the cheese.
Step 6: Add the Cheese
Once the meatballs and potatoes are mostly cooked, sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella over the entire surface. You can mix mozzarella with cheddar or parmesan for a deeper, more complex cheesy crust.
Make sure the cheese covers the tops of the potatoes and meatballs evenly, like in the finished photo.
Step 7: Final Bake (With Cheese)
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until:
- The cheese is fully melted
- The top has golden brown spots
- Some edges are bubbly and caramelized
This is the stage when the transformation happens — the cheese turns the dish into a beautiful casserole-like bake with irresistible pull-apart portions.
Step 8: Rest and Serve
Let the bake rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven. This helps the sauce thicken and allows the layers to settle, making serving easier.
Serve with:
- A simple salad
- Garlic yogurt sauce
- Warm bread
- Rice
- Or enjoy it as a full meal by itself
Tips for a Perfect Result
1. Use slightly higher-fat beef
It keeps the meatballs juicy and prevents dryness.
2. Parboil potatoes if they are very hard
But not more than 5–6 minutes.
3. Don’t skip the foil in the first stage
It traps steam which softens the potatoes.
4. Let the top brown well
The golden cheese layer is essential to its flavor and presentation.
5. Add herbs at the end if you want freshness
Basil, parsley, or oregano work beautifully.
Optional Variations
- Creamy version: Add ½ cup heavy cream to the cheese layer.
- Spicy version: Add hot paprika or harissa to the meatball mix.
- Vegetable version: Add bell peppers or zucchini slices.
- Cheese lover’s version: Mix mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan.