Hachis Parmentier (French Shepherd's Pie)

Hachis Parmentier is a classic French dish that features a savory ground beef mixture covered by fluffy, cheesy mashed potatoes. Comforting, hearty, and so delicious. 

Hachis Parmentier is the French version of the classic British Shepherd’s Pie, and is a staple on winter menus for good reason. Parmentier just means “with potatoes,” and that potato topping is so delicious that in France you’ll see all sorts of other versions of this dish, from Duck Parmentier to Fish Parmentier (that one really sounds better in French). But this one with ground beef is the classic, and I think you’ll enjoy it. 

Why Make This Recipe

• Family-Friendly Meal: This beef parmentier has great flavor, but the ingredients are basic enough to please even picky eaters. You can also easily double the recipe if you have a large family, or have visitors in town. 
• Freezes Well: This is one of those dishes that is perfect to make in advance, then freeze until you need it. Also excellent for potlucks or for bringing over to a family with a new baby or anyone else who just needs a little home-cooked love. 
• Budget-Friendly: The basics of this dish, ground beef and potatoes, are some of the least expensive options at the grocery store. This hearty meal will really stretch your shopping dollar. 

🥗 Ingredients

• Ground Beef: I prefer a very lean ground beef, so my beef mixture is not soupy at all after cooking. If yours is soupy after the meat has browned, just drain off some of the extra fat.
• Herbes de Provence: Feel free to replace Herbes de Provence with a different kind of herb. Dried thyme would be my first choice, though dried oregano or any Italian seasoning would work too. 
• Parmesan Cheese: I always recommend grating your own Parmesan cheese, rather than buying pre-grated cheese. It has more flavor and will melt into your dish better than the pre-grated varieties. 

• Potatoes: You can use whatever kind of potato you like to use for mashed potatoes. Generally, I look for something like a Yukon Gold. I recommend you avoid baking potatoes, as their high starch content makes them better for baking rather than mashing. 
• Gruyère Cheese: Gruyère cheese is a classic in this dish, but you could replace it with Parmesan cheese instead. Or try a different French cheese like a Comté or an Emmental. 

🥣 Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Peel and chop 1 small onion and 2 large carrots into very small pieces (about 1 cm chunks). Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add chopped onion, garlic, and carrots. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.

Add 2 ½ tablespoons tomato paste, ½ teaspoon herbes de provence, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until beef loses its pink color and is fully cooked.  

While beef is cooking, peel 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, and cut into large chunks. Then bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, and add potato chunks. Boil potato chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until fully tender. 

After the beef mixture has cooled for several minutes, season with salt and pepper. Now stir in 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Pour meat mixture into an 8x8 baking dish or gratin dish. 

When potatoes are done, drain them, then return to pan. Add 3 ½ tablespoons butter, 4 ounces milk, and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Mash with fork or with an electric mixer, until they have the consistency of mashed potatoes that you enjoy (they can be more rustic or more smooth, as you prefer!).

Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Spread potatoes on top of meat mixture in baking dish, then grate a little bit of nutmeg over the top (if you like). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons Gruyère cheese over the top.

Bake for 25-35 min, until Hachis Parmentier is hot and the cheese is beginning to brown on top. 

🧐 Recipe FAQs

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

If you want a saucier bottom layer of this dish, you can add beef broth or red wine to the beef mixture to build more of a gravy. Alternatively, if you prefer the bottom layer to be drier, or are worried that your beef is too saucy, you can add a layer of the potatoes on the bottom of your dish before adding the meat.

That will help absorb the liquid from the beef mixture so that you can easily scoop out portions when it’s time to serve. 

Now that you know how to make the potato top, feel free to experiment with different versions of this dish. One option for the meat layer is to use the leftovers of a beef stew (pot au feu) on the bottom (or in the middle, if you want to sandwich it between potatoes).

You could also make a bottom layer with the meat from duck confit or from a lamb roast. Or, for a vegetarian version, you might try using sautéed wild mushrooms for the base of the dish. 

You can also make the potato layer even more decadent by stirring in some caramelized garlic cloves. Find out how in my How to Roast Garlic post.

Wondering what to serve with Hachis Parmentier? There is lots of flavor going on in this comfort food dish, so I like to serve it with a green salad on the side. You might try this Kale Salad with Cranberries, this Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Glazed Walnuts, or this Classic Side Salad.

You could also just toss some salad greens with this Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing or this Meyer Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette. Or, try this mashed potato casserole with these Green Beans Almondine.

Other Delicious French Recipes

If you enjoyed this dish, try my Tomates Farcies recipe or my Tarte aux Fraises. Or try one of these French-inspired recipes:

If you try this Hachis Parmentier recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me.

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