Pastelón de papas – potatoes and beef casserole

My friend Gabriel Magraner from NALAC (Nat. Assoc. of Latino Arts & Culture) visited the area to prepare for the NALAC Regional Training that is taking place in Charlotte from June 2 to the 3rd.

Since Gabriel is of Puerto Rican descent, I wanted to make him something very popular in the Caribbean, Pastelón de Papas or potatoes and beef casserole.

This is a super easy recipe to put together once you have the picadillo filling and the mashed potatoes all made.  This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and put in the freezer to eat later in the week.

Ingredients for Potatoes:

• 3 lbs of potatoes

• 1/4 of butter

• 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese

• 2 eggs

• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Picadillo Filling:

• 1 lb. of ground beef (I prefer 90/10)

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 1 large onion

• ½ green bell pepper

• 1 small sweet red pepper

• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed

• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

• 10 oz. of beef or vegetable stock

• 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 tablespoon of Adobo

• ½ tablespoon of oregano

• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 ½ tablespoons of pimiento-stuffed olives (optional)

• 1 ½ tablespoons of capers (optional)

• 2 tablespoons of raisins (optional)

• Pinch of Cinnamon or Allspice (optional)