Beef and Potato Patties in Béchamel Sauce

Fried and then baked in a creamy sauce, these fluffy and juicy patties simply melt in your mouth.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Patties

• 500  g minced beef
• 200  g pancetta, ground
• 500  g potatoes, roughly grated*
• 1  egg
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6  tablespoons  peanut oil (for frying)

• Sauce (a la Bechamel)

• 750  ml milk
• 1  teaspoon sea salt
• 60  g butter
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  grated nutmeg
• 1  tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 200  g swiss cheese, roughly grated (½ for the sauce, ½ for the sprinkling)

Directions

1. Mix by hand all ingredients for the patties.
2. Form 8 tennis ball sized patties.
3. Fry the patties in peanut oil for 3 – 4 minutes only on one side until golden with a crispy crust.
4. Place them, next to each other, in an ovenproof casserole. Set aside.
5. Make the easy a la béchamel sauce: put butter, salt, nutmeg and parsley in cold milk. Bring to the boil, stirring from time to time. Turn the heat to low.
6. Dissolve flour in some cold water to obtain a thick, smooth mixture. Gradually, stirring constantly, add to the hot milk. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, making sure that the sauce does not burn. Remove from the heat.
7. Stir in half of the cheese and pour the sauce over the patties. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 220°C for 45 minutes.
8. Take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the patties. Return to the oven for 3 – 4 minutes until the cheese melts.
9. * Do not squeeze the excess water out of the shredded potatoes.