This potato and meatball gratin is simply to die for

Many modern American dishes draw their influence from French cuisine.

Sweet and Savory shared a simple recipe for Gratin Parmentier that one may get hooked on to in no time.

The legendary chef Julia Child brought many French dishes straight into American homes. People wrongly assume that French cuisine is only for a top-class chef. There are several simple dishes that are easy to pull off.

Here is a simple recipe that proves the statement right. A very rare but delicious dish, Gratin Parmentier has recently gone viral.

The best thing about it is the fact that it uses commonly found ingredients and combines it in a creative way. It is sure to become a favorite for all.

It is prepared in two parts, the dish itself and the Bechamel sauce. The ingredients that go in are listed below.

The dish:

Three potatoes, peeled and boiled

One white onion

One package of ground beef

One teaspoon of chopped parsley

One pinch of paprika

One large bag of shredded mozzarella

Bechamel sauce

Salt

Pepper    

For the bechamel sauce:

Five tablespoons of butter

Four tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Four cups of milk

Two teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

The preparation

The first step would be to make the béchamel sauce that will be used later in the recipe. 

Use a medium saucepan to melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir until it is smooth. Cook the mixture for about six to seven minutes until it turns a light golden color.

Heat milk in a separate pan and once it is hot enough, add the milk one cup at a time to the butter. Whisk the mixture the entire time until it is smooth.

Once the milk is mixed completely, boil the mixture and cook for about 10 minutes. Remember to stir it constantly. Season it at the end with salt and nutmeg and the sauce is ready.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a big bowl put in the package of beef along with chopped parsley and paprika. Just add a little salt and pepper.

Mix all the ingredients until they are evenly combined.

The next step is to boil peeled potatoes until they are semi-soft for around seven minutes. Then, chop them into slices and place them around the bottom of a round glass baking dish. 

Now here is the interesting part. Work the meat mixture into ice cream scoop-sized meatballs. Place them on the slices of potato laid out earlier.

The remaining slices of potatoes can be placed between the meatballs that will result in a sort of compartment for each meatball.

Now pour the béchamel sauce into every compartment until it is full. Then top the entire thing with a layer of shredded mozzarella.

Place the dish in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. The result is a deliciously cheesy and creamy dish that will be loved by everyone in the family.