Hasanpaşa Köfte is a delicious Turkish casserole dish featuring juicy meatballs topped with creamy mashed potatoes and cheese, all baked in a flavorful tomato sauce. You can serve this Turkish staple for family weeknight dinners or special occasions.
The combination of perfectly seasoned köfte (Turkish meatballs) and rich mashed potatoes makes this casserole dish comforting and extra delicious. Plus, it’s easier to prepare than you might think.
What Is Hasanpaşa Köfte?
Named after the 19th-century Ottoman figure Hasan Pasha, this dish features round meatballs hollowed out to create a cup-like shape. These meatball "cups" are filled with creamy mashed potatoes, topped with cheese, and baked in a flavorful tomato sauce. It’s visually stunning and tastes amazing—perfect for both weeknights and special occasions.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Ingredients for Meatballs
- Ground meat - The key ingredient for köfte is minced meat, and its fat content is just as important as the quality of the meat. Ideally, the mince should have a minimum of 20%, ideally 30% fat to ensure deliciously tender meatballs. I usually use a mix of half ground lamb and half ground beef to get the perfect balance of flavor and fat.
- Garlic - It is one of the essential flavorings for kofte dishes. You can turn it into a paste with a mortar and pestle or grate it with a Microplane.
- Egg white - It helps to bind the meat, breadcrumbs, spices, and herbs. I save the yolk for mixing with mashed potatoes.
- Seasoning - I use a blend of black pepper, paprika, and chili flakes but you can also add coriander powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, or a touch of cinnamon.
- Bread crumbs - They absorb the juices from the meat as it cooks, helping to keep the meatballs moist. They also contribute to a soft and tender texture.
Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes and Tomato Sauce
- Potatoes - The best potatoes for fluffy, smooth, and delicious mashed potatoes are the ones with higher starch such as Maris Piper, Red Russets, Desire, or King Edward.
- Double cream/heavy cream - You can substitute it with full-fat milk, single cream, or sour cream. If you want to omit it, add extra butter to your mashed potatoes.
- Butter - It adds richness and flavor to creamy mashed potatoes.
- Egg yolk - It gives some golden brown color to the top layer and also adds rich flavor.
- Cheese - Everything tastes better with a bit of extra cheese. I use cheddar to mix in with mashed potatoes and Kasar cheese to top the koftas. You can use any other hard cheeses such as gruyere, or mozzarella.
- Peas - Optional but I like adding them as they add some color and texture to the dish.
- Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. You can buy tomato paste in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or buy it online from Amazon .
How to Make Hasanpaşa Köfte - Turkish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes
Making this delicious and comforting Hasanpaşa Köfte - Turkish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes is extremely easy. However, there are a few simple steps to follow for you to achieve the best results:
Prepare the Meatballs
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, grated onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg white, and spices.
Mix everything thoroughly with your hands until well combined, then continue kneading it for another 5 minutes.
Cover the bowl and let the kofte mixture rest refrigerated while preparing mashed potatoes.
Prepare the Mashed Potatoes
While the meatballs are resting, prepare the mashed potatoes. Peel and wash the potatoes, and cut them into equal chunky sizes. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with cold water enough to cover them all.
Bring the potatoes to a boil on medium heat, and then lower the heat. Gently simmer them without heavy boiling to avoid the potatoes falling apart while cooking. Cook the potatoes thoroughly until soft enough to pierce with a knife easily to avoid the lumps in the mash.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly using a fine mesh sieve and then return them to the heat for 30 seconds to ensure that any remaining water on the potatoes completely evaporates. Add the double cream, butter, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mash using a masher or a ricer until smooth. Stir in the cheese and the egg yolk.
Shape and Fill the Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 190 ℃ (375 ℉). Divide the meatball mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Flatten slightly then use your thumb to press a hollow into the center, forming a cup. Place them in a baking dish, making sure they don't touch each other.
Fill the holes with 1 ½ tablespoons of peas and then top with mashed potatoes using a spoon or a piping bag.
Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes. Prepare the tomato sauce while the meatballs are baking by mixing tomato paste, water, and thyme in a jug.
Reduce the heat to 180°C (350°F), remove the meatballs from the oven, and top them with grated Kasar cheese. Pour the tomato sauce around the köfte in the baking dish, making sure not to cover the mashed potato tops.
Return the meatballs to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and has slightly golden edges.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- For delicious and juicy meatballs, use freshly ground meat with a minimum of 20% fat content. Using lean meat will make them dry and tough.
- A mix of beef and lamb adds more flavor, but ground beef alone works just as well.
- If you have time, let your Hasanpasa kofte mixture rest for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight for the flavors to meld.
- Wet your fingers while shaping the meatballs to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.
- Start cooking the potatoes with cold water. If you put your potatoes in boiling water, you will end up with potatoes that are cooked and soft outside and crunchy and hard inside.
- The mashed potatoes should be creamy enough to pipe or spoon easily but not runny.
- Don't overwork the potatoes. Using a food processor or overworking them for too long will cause the mashed potatoes to get gluey.
What to Serve with Hasanpaşa Köfte
Hasanpaşa Köfte is a hearty meal on its own but also pairs beautifully with a variety of sides, such as:
Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli, Barbari Bread - Persian Flatbread, Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink), Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt With Cucumbers) and Coban Salatasi (Turkish Shepherd's Salad).
Storage and Reheating
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to five days.
If you want to keep Hasanpasa Kofte longer, place them in an airtight container, and then freeze them for up to three months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating them. Don't thaw them at room temperature or in the microwave, as this could lead to uneven thawing and bacterial growth.
To reheat leftovers, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can prepare the köfte and mashed potatoes ahead of time. Store them separately in the fridge and assemble them just before baking.
Ground beef is the most common choice, but I prefer a mix of beef and lamb as it has the ideal percentage of fat content.
Related Recipes
For more delicious side dish ideas to serve with Hasanpaşa Köfte - Turkish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious casserole 'Hasanpaşa Köfte - Turkish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes' as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Hasanpaşa Köfte - Turkish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 grater
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 500 g ground meat
- 1 medium onion (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 500 g floury potatoes such as desire or maris piper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ cup double cream or heavy cream
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 50 g cheddar cheese (to mix with mashed potatoes)
- 50 g kasar cheese (for the top of the meatballs)
- ½ cup frozen peas
For the Tomato Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
Instructions
Preparing the Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, grated onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg white, and spices.
- Mix everything thoroughly with your hands until well combined, then continue kneading it for another 5 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and let the kofte mixture rest refrigerated while preparing mashed potatoes.
Preparing the Mashed Potatoes
- While the meatballs are resting, prepare the mashed potatoes. Peel and wash the potatoes, and cut them into equal chunky sizes.
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with cold water enough to cover them all.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil on medium heat, and then lower the heat. Gently simmer them without heavy boiling to avoid the potatoes falling apart while cooking.
- Cook the potatoes thoroughly until soft enough to pierce with a knife easily to avoid the lumps in the mash.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly using a fine mesh sieve and then return them to the heat for 30 seconds to ensure that any remaining water on the potatoes completely evaporates.
- Add the double cream, butter, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mash using a masher or a ricer until smooth.
- Stir in the cheese and egg yolks.
Shape and Fill The Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 190 ℃ (375 ℉)
- Divide the meatball mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball.
- Flatten slightly then use your thumb to press a hollow into the center, forming a cup. Place them in a baking dish, making sure they don't touch each other.
- Fill the holes with 1 ½ tablespoons of peas and then top with mashed potatoes using a spoon or a piping bag.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the tomato sauce while the meatballs are baking by mixing tomato paste, water, and thyme in a jug.
- Reduce the heat to 180°C (350°F), remove the meatballs from the oven, and top them with grated Kasar cheese.
- Pour the tomato sauce around the köfte in the baking dish, making sure not to cover the mashed potato tops.
- Return the meatballs to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and has slightly golden edges.
Video
Notes
- For delicious and juicy meatballs, use freshly ground meat with a minimum of 20% fat content. Using lean meat will make them dry and tough.
- A mix of beef and lamb adds more flavor, but ground beef alone works just as well.
- If you have time, let your Hasanpasa kofte mixture rest for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight for the flavors to meld.
- Wet your fingers while shaping the meatballs to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.
- Start cooking the potatoes with cold water. If you put your potatoes in boiling water, you will end up with potatoes that are cooked and soft outside and crunchy and hard inside.
- The mashed potatoes should be creamy enough to pipe or spoon easily but not runny.
- Don't overwork the potatoes. Using a food processor or overworking them for too longwill cause the mashed potatoes to get gluey.
Celine
Great recipe. My husband and the kids loved it. Definitely a keeper!
Ayla Clulee
Hi Celine, I am so pleased to hear that!
Best wishes
Ayla