Pâté Chinois (Quebec Style Shepherd's Pie )
In Quebec, the classic Irish Cottage Pie (Shepherd's Pie) takes on a new name: Pâté Chinois. But, don't let the name or simple ingredients fool you. It is still an incredibly easy and tasty comfort-food casserole.
Growing up, I loved when my mom would make Pâté Chinois. It had been a staple in her household growing up, and it became a staple in ours.
I loved hearing her pronounce the French Canadian name too. It reminded me of when we would stay at her parent's house, and I would listen to my grandparents speaking French to each other in the early morning before we all got out of bed.
What Does Pâté Chinois Mean?
Growing up, the meaning of Pâté Chinois was a bit lost in translation for us. No one in our family really knew why the French Canadians called their version of Shepherd's Pie Chinese Pie.
It was simply what it was called.
To me, that three-layered casserole was synonymous with Shepherd's Pie. And, I had never heard of using any other vegetable in Shepherd's Pie besides corn.
Needless to say, when my college roommates introduced me to strange vegetables like carrots and peas in Shepherd's Pie, I was one confused cookie.
But, after doing a bit of digging into my grandparent's French Canadian heritage and into traditional Quebecois food, I finally found the answer to my questions.
Cooks for the Chinese railway workers in the 19th century came up with this dish as a variation on Shephard's Pie because it was an economical way to feed all the workers.
Apparently, Canadians liked it so much, it stuck around and became the national dish of Quebec.
Our Pâté Chinois Recipe
Traditionally, Pâté Chinois is made using canned creamed corn, however, my Grandmother was not a fan of creamed corn, so she would use fresh corn instead.
That version is what has been passed down in our family, and it's the one we're sharing with you today.
But, if you'd like to try it using creamed corn, I'd suggest making your own creamed corn, rather than using the canned version. (It's actually quite easy.)
Similar beef casseroles from around the world
This layered beef casserole concept pops up in a number of countries around the globe. If you like this recipe for Pâté Chinois, you have to give these similar dishes a try!
- Hachis Parmentier (French Beef and Potato Casserole)
- Cottage Pie (often called Shepherd's Pie, from Scotland)
And, probably the most unique, but no less tasty Pastel de Choclo (Chilean Beef and Corn Casserole).
Pâté Chinois (Quebec Style Shepherd's Pie)
Ingredients
For the Mashed Potatoes (Alternately, use 4 c of leftover, seasoned mashed potatoes, warmed and beaten until smooth.)
- 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
- ⅓ c milk
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Dish
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 lb ground beef (90% lean)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 c sweet corn,* thawed if frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Put peeled and quartered potatoes into a medium soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain and add the milk, 1 tablespoon butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Beat using an electric hand mixer to achieve very smooth and fluffy mashed potatoes. (If using leftover mashed potatoes, beat them to create a smooth texture, adding a splash of milk if necessary.) Set the potatoes aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter. Add the diced onion and sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are golden, 3-5 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown the beef until it is cooked through. Add the paprika, thyme, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Pour the onion and beef mixture into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking dish. Evenly distribute the corn over the meat. Finally, dollop the potatoes over the corn, spreading them to create an even top crust.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Notes
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Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
My mom used to make this when I was growing up only she used regular corn. However, when I make it I used creamed corn because it adds more flavor. She didn't call it that, she had a different French name for it and I wouldn't be able to spell it.
Thanks so much, I learned something new today!!!
We're glad you found us Pamela!
I make a vegan version believe it or not> just use veggie ground "beef" instead of the beef (I use"Yves veggie ground" here in Canada),tastes great!
Thanks for sharing Mark!
Listen to the “Chinese Pie” episode of the “Last Seen” podcast which dispels the railway origin theory of the name of the dish and digs deeper to find the real reason. It’s fascinating! Still tasty no matter what!
How interesting Sean. We will give it a listen.
Would love the link to this podcast.
This is how my mother made Shepherd's Pie. She was from PEI. Thank you for sharing!
A way to add flavor to this recipe while cooking the hamburger cut down on the pepper and add Montreal Steak Spice to the Hamburger or The Keg Steak Spice. Gives it a better kick. Also to make it juicier I use kernel corn then cream corn over the hamburger. That keeps it moist. I always make a triple batch and freeze it. It there is no cream corn, when we reheat it from the frozen state, the Shepherd's Pie tends to be dryer.
Thanks for sharing Robert!
I am making this today for Wednesday. Should I cook it, then freeze it, or freeze it now and cook on Wednesday? thank you.
terry
Hi Terry. Sorry for just seeing this now. Hopefully you found a method that worked well for you. In the future, two days ahead, this should keep in the refrigerator just fine and not need freezing. Typically if we are going to make them more a week ahead of time we will freeze it before cooking, then thaw and cook before we want to eat it.
We always called this dish Chinese casserole and I never knew where the name came from. I always use cream style corn. I've had it with plain corn, but it's too dry.
Hi Barbara. That is the traditional way. I can see how if you're used to it with creamed corn, this way may seem a bit drier.
I made some just last night, and today I came across your article as I was looking to find out where the term pate chinois came from. I grew up in a French-Canadian family and this is how we always referred to this dish. As an alternative, my mom would sometimes replace the corn layer with shredded or sliced carrots. Today, when I make the dish (either with corn or carrots) I will often add thin layer of spinach - added nutrition and additional color for presentation. sometimes I just mash fresh shredded spinach into the mashed potatoes instead of making it a separate layer.
I like the idea of adding shredded carrots or spinach. Thanks for sharing!
So just pointing out, that it might have been given a different name in Quebec or elsewhere but traditionally what you have is "Cottage Pie" not "Sheppard's Pie". Sheppard's pie is made with lamb that why it was named Shappard's Pie. "Cottage Pie" is made with beef.
You are correct. Have you read our article on Cottage Pie/Shepherd's Pie that we link to at the bottom of this article?
Well, Happy Canada Day!
I am not Canadian myself - but I definitely want to visit there someday. Nevertheless, I want to spread the goodwill while I can. What better way to get into the groove of a country on its national day but to explore the deep cuisine of each.
That's what I did for July 1st, 2021. I got some doughnuts and coffee delivered (not quite Timbits and a Double Double, but it was still good) before getting my housemate some Molson beers. Then follow with some poutine delivered in the evening, this beauty of a meal for dinner, and homemade Nanaimo bars as a final sweet touch.
As for this meal, it was nice. Definitely hard to say much without referring to it as a version of Shepherd's Pie. I liked the fresh corn layer to spruce things up. Since it is winter down where I live, a hot pie is hard to beat.
Happy Canada Day! Sounds like a great celebration!
Looks nice. I am not against ( in fact all for!) " variations on a theme", but sadly the original use of lamb meat in shepherds pie is disappearing!
Using beef meat would produce cottage pie, (or a variation of!)
A variation of mine is to add a large dollop of Branston pickle (available?) or chutney to the meat mix, and grated cheese to the potato mash.
Very true! Your variations sound delicious!
I love Pate Chinoise and your story. I grew up in a French Canadian family in New Hampshire and loved mornings at my grand parents house and the cooking. I recently experimented a bit. I made the basic recipe but added some sour cream and shredded cheese to the mashed potatoes. Then I layered it into a pie crust with a top and baked until the crust was brown. Any creamy Campbell’s soup such as mushroom or cheddar cheese makes for a great sauce topper on your slice.
Hi John! Thanks for sharing. That does sound delicious!
I love this recipe - almost to point of making me cry. Currently in ISO due to Covid-19 in Australia and supposed to see my french canadian familly but thats unlikely - this year. (now 4 years)
This has been a blast from the past, and much needed warm hug.
I am so sorry to hear that you are separated from your family. But, I am glad that we were able to offer you a bit of comfort. I hope you and your family are able to see each other soon!
I haven't tried the recipe yet but I've added it to my list! It seems very similar to Hachis Parmentier and Shepherd's Pie (I'm French & British), all but without veggies and with sweetcorn.
You may want to 'study' the recipe for Gratin Dauphinois. It's thinly sliced potatoes (not like French fries, just lengthwise) cooked with double cream in the oven. Towards the end, you add grated cheese and nutmeg (or mace). It used to be a big favourite at the school canteen when I was a kid.
Yes! It is similar to those other two. (In fact we have recipes for all of them if you use our “Search” function.) We love Gratin Dauphinois as well! Such comfort food!
So what do we do with the Thyme and Paprika? Not mention in the recipe ...
Hi Michael. They get added to the meat mixture. Sorry for the confusion.