Ground beef, tomato, potato & bell pepper casserole

I can feel the summer in the air, the hot nights when you just can’t get any sleep, the days when you’d rather be inside the house with the AC turned on. We in Croatia spend our summers at the seaside, where most of us have our vacation homes. For the last five or six years I’ve been going to this beautiful small island of Vir. A place where you can count the people with your hand during the winter, and also a place where you can’t find a spot at the beach during the summer. It’s an island with so many hidden gems under the clear blue sky, surrounded with crystal clear sea.

Nothing is better than having a bike to explore the island and all of its natural beauty. Since it’s not a large island anyone can do so, and you won’t be disappointed. Last summer me and my friends took our bikes and went around the island. It seemed like the sea was cleaner and the sky was bluer as we left the city of Vir. And at every stop there was something to see, a place to take a photo, to jump in the sea and enjoy every bit of it.

Now I just think of it, sitting at my desk, writing this post in Zagreb. Counting the days until I can pack my bags and leave the rush and the stress that comes with living in a big city. Going somewhere where there are no obligations and worries, just a cold beer, fresh salty breeze coming from the sea and an endless day under the smiling sun.

Take a minute, relax, think of your happy place and enjoy!

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Preparation: 35 min

Cook time: 40 min

Servings: 6

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Ingredients

• 600 g potatoes
• 500 g minced beef
• batch of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 400 g bell peppers, sliced
• 300 g fresh tomatoes, sliced
• 350 ml crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• batch of fresh basil, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

How to

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cook them in water until cooked all the way through. Peel them after cooking, slice them and sprinkle with some olive oil.
2. Cook the minced beef over vegetable oil in a large pan. Season with parsley, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and ground pepper.
3. In a small sauce pan cook the crushed tomatoes, seasoned with olive oil, basil, salt & pepper, over low heat until it comes to a boil.
4. Preheat the oven to 180° C. Sprinkle some olive oil in the baking bowl.
5. Take a large baking bowl and place 2/3 of sliced potatoes as the first layer of the casserole. Place minced meat as the second layer, then the sliced bell peppers, 1/3 of the remaining potatoes and cover them with sliced tomatoes. Finish the casserole with crushed tomato sauce.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 min until the flavours combine.