Papas Rellenas Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Delicious and oh-so-fun mashed potato balls, these Papas Rellenas are stuffed with beef and baked to perfection! Your family will love them!

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: cuban, Peruvian

Keyword: mashed potato balls, papas rellenas, papas rellenas de carne

Servings: servings

Calories: 284kcal

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Preheat your oven to 400°F. While the oven is preheating, add olive oil and ground beef to a frying pan and cook until brown, stirring occasionally.
1 lb. Ground beef
Add in the tomato sauce, minced garlic, oregano and salt to the beef, then mix it all together.
8 Tablespoons Tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon Garlic, 2 teaspoons Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Salt
Set the heat to low and let the sauce and meat mixture simmer for 30 minutes. Then, remove the pan from the heat to let it cool down completely.
Get out a large dish (I love square casserole dishes for this) and pour in the bread crumbs.
2 Cups Seasoned bread crumbs
Place a spoonful of cooled mashed potatoes in the palm of your hand. Using a spoon or your fingers, make a dent in the center of the potatoes, then place 1 Tablespoon of meat mixture into the indent.
2 Cups Mashed Potatoes
Place another spoonful of mashed potatoes on top, then roll it in your palm until it forms a neat ball with the meat mixture enclosed inside.
Roll the potato ball in the dish of bread crumbs until coated on all sides, then place it on a lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until no meat and potatoes remain.
Melt the butter in the microwave or a pan. Using a baking brush, brush the top of each potato ball with melted butter. Then place the pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove, cool, and serve!
3 Tablespoons Butter

These potato balls are perfect for making ahead! Whip up a big batch and then freeze them before baking. They'll last for up to 4 months in the freezer and just take an extra 15 minutes of baking time from frozen!
Cooling your mashed potatoes to room temperature before using them to create the balls will make it SO much easier to work with!
Gluten free? Never fear! Just swap out the breadcrumbs for a gluten-free alternative.
All sorts of seasonings work for the beef in this recipe, so try out all sorts to make it perfect for your family! Or if you want to be extra adventurous, try a different ground meat entirely!