This Traditional Paté Chinois recipe is the French-Canadian (Quebecois) version of the American Shepherd's Pie. Loosely translated it means "Chinese Pie".
This classic dish is made by layering ground beef on the bottom, corn for the middle layer, and mashed potatoes on top. Many variations exist for this recipe but these 3 layers are the foundation of the dish.
I am told the origins of pâté chinois date back to when the Canadian Pacific Railway was being built in the late 1800s.
The railway workers (mainly of Asian origin) were apparently fed ground beef, potatoes and corn. Hence the name "Pâté Chinois" in their honor.
💭 Ingredient Substitution
You can use canned corn, fresh corn or even cream corn instead of frozen corn. If you prefer, you can use ground turkey instead of ground beef if you don't mind deviating from the traditional dish a bit.
This classic Canadian dish is usually served with some ketchup but I realize that some of you out there don't care for ketchup.
If that is the case, you can eat this Pate Chinois / Shepherd's Pie without ketchup or eat it with your favorite condiment.
For more great recipes with Fresh Rosemary, I suggest you check these recipes out:
📋 Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Traditional Pate Chinois (Shepherd’s Pie) recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Ground Beef, Corn, Yellow Onion, Rosemary, Basil, Tomato Paste, Tomatoes, Russet Potatoes, Parmesan Cheese, Salt, Butter and Milk.
🥣 How to Make Paté Chinois
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a skillet, cook the ground beef and onions. When the meat starts to brown, season with salt, pepper, rosemary and basil.
Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Mix until well combined. Continue to cook until the beef is completely cooked. Drain any fat. Set aside.
Cook the potatoes using your favorite method. When cooked, mash potatoes adding salt, butter and milk to taste. Fold in the parmesan cheese.
Place the meat mixture in a baking dish. Top the meat with the corn completely covering the meat. Add the mashed potatoes, completely covering the corn.
Bake for 45 minutes until hot. If you are using frozen corn make sure that the corn is hot.
Optionally, you can also put the casserole under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the mashed potatoes.
📖 Recipe
Traditional Pate Chinois (Shepherd’s Pie)
Equipment
- Baking Dish
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- ½ Cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Basil
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste, optional
- 15 oz Diced Tomatoes, optional
- 30 oz Frozen Corn
- 4 Russet Potatoes
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Butter
- ⅓ Cup Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a skillet, cook the ground beef and onions. When the meat starts to brown, season with salt, pepper, rosemary and basil.1 lb Lean Ground Beef, ½ Cup Yellow Onion, 1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary, 1 teaspoon Basil
- Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Mix until well combined. Continue to cook until the beef is completely cooked. Drain any fat. Set aside.1 tablespoon Tomato Paste, 15 oz Diced Tomatoes
- Cook the potatoes using your favorite method. When cooked, mash potatoes adding salt, butter and milk to taste. Fold in the parmesan cheese.4 Russet Potatoes, ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ Cup Butter, ⅓ Cup Milk
- Place the meat mixture in a baking dish. Top the meat with the corn completely covering the meat. Add the mashed potatoes, completely covering the corn.30 oz Frozen Corn
- Bake for 45 minutes in the oven until hot. If you are using frozen corn make sure that the corn is hot.
- You can also put the casserole under the boiler for a few minutes to brown the potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Natacha
I can’t say enough about this recipe. It is just delicious. Very tasty especially with the tomatoes. My family just loved it and my son who never asks for second servings did so when I made it last night.
SteveO
I'm surprised you think shepherd's pie is an 'American' dish -- it's very much from the UK. As hinted at by the name, shepherd's pie uses minced lamb, while 'cottage pie' uses minced beef. Pate chinois is really a French Canadian variant of cottage pie.
Rodney
Thanks for your history lesson!