Beef Bolognese Potato Bake

This beef bolognese potato bake is a hearty, high-protein dinner that’s perfect for feeding a crowd or batch cooking for the week. It delivers all the richness of a slow-cooked bolognese topped with layers of golden potato instead of pasta.

Serves 6

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 hours 50 minutes

Looking for more hearty dinner recipes? Try my Slow Cooker Short Rib Pasta or my Slow-Roasted Lamb Leg.

Jump to Recipe

Helpful Tips

Storage

Fridge: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 15–20 minutes, or in the microwave until piping hot throughout. Cover with foil when reheating in the oven to prevent the top from over-browning.

Substitutions

Beef mince → lamb mince works really well here and adds a slightly richer flavour.
White potatoes → sweet potato can be used for the topping; slice to the same thickness and expect a slightly softer result.
Passata → a 700ml tin of crushed tomatoes works as a direct swap.
Parmesan → pecorino romano is a good alternative with a sharper flavour.
Mozzarella → provolone or a melting cheese of your choice works fine.
Baby spinach → kale or silverbeet can be used; cook for a little longer until fully wilted.

Serving Suggestions

This is a complete meal on its own. A simple green salad or some steamed broccolini on the side is all it needs. If you’re feeding a bigger group, crusty bread to scoop up the sauce goes down well.

Keep screen on

Ingredients Directions

Serving Scaler

Serves 6 1x 2x 3x

Ingredients

For the Bolognese:

2 tbsp olive oil
1kg beef mince
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
700ml passata
250ml beef stock or beef bone broth
1 punnet (250g) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 large handfuls (about 60g) baby spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Potato Topping:

900g white potatoes, very thinly sliced (2–3mm) on a mandolin
Salt and pepper
40g parmesan, finely grated
120g mozzarella, shredded

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe dish over high heat. Add the beef mince in batches, pressing it flat and leaving it untouched for 2–3 minutes until a deep brown crust forms underneath, then break it up. Once all the mince is well browned, reduce the heat to medium.
Add the onion, celery, carrot, zucchini and garlic into the pot with the mince. Stir everything together and cook for 8–10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
Add the passata, stock, cherry tomatoes, thyme and rosemary. Stir well, season with salt and pepper, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich. Remove the rosemary sprig and adjust seasoning.
Stir through the baby spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until just wilted.
While the bolognese simmers, slice the potatoes to 2–3mm on a mandolin. Don’t rinse them. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional).
Arrange the potato slices over the bolognese in overlapping layers.
Cover tightly with foil or a lid and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil, scatter the parmesan evenly over the potatoes, then top with the mozzarella. Bake for a further 20–25 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife and the top is deeply golden and bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Print Recipe

Nutritional Information

( per serving, based on 6 )

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	520 kcal
Protein	42 g
Carbohydrates	38 g
Fat	18 g
Fibre	6 g

Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general reference only. Actual values may vary. This is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.