Slow Cooker Kofta Casserole (Paleo,Whole30)

Kofta casserole is a flavorful Middle Eastern inspired dish. Kofta patties cook with potatoes and tomatoes in this hearty recipe. Make this comfort food in your slow cooker or oven.

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Updated 2020

I love finding inspiration on social media. I saw a baked version of this on PitaChickBites‘s Instagram page and I knew right away it would make a good slow cooker recipe and I was right. Thank you so much Joyce for inspiring this recipe. I will forever refer to it as Joyce’s kofta casserole in my household. 

What Is Kofta

Kofta is ground meat mixed with onion and spices that’s shaped into patties or meatballs and cooked. Kofta is eaten in cuisines across the world; Indian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean cuisines all serve variations of kofta.  Kofta, kefta, kafta…it’s sometimes spelled differently depending on which region of the world is making it but the basic concept remains the same: flavorful meat patties or meatballs.

before

I used my chicken kofta kebab recipe as a base for this kofta casserole. Instead of ground chicken I used ground beef. You can use your preferred ground meat whether it be ground beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork or a combination.

after

What Type Of Potatoes To Use

Normally I recommend a waxy potato for slow cooking because they hold their shape better during the long cooking process. With this recipe I like to use russet (Idaho) potatoes. I find their easier to work with and because the potatoes are stacked against the kofta and tomato slices, they still hold their shape.

Tomato Sauce

This recipe has been updated from when I originally posted it a year and a half ago. Originally I used 8 ounces of tomato pastes.  It’s now updated to use 15 ounces to seasoned tomato sauce.  While I kept the seasonings in the tomato sauce simple by only adding garlic, salt, and pepper, feel free to jazz up the sauce with your preferred seasonings.

Making It Fit In Your Slow Cooker

I used a 3.5-quart Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker hence why I was able to make my kofta casserole into nice rows. If you’re using an oval slow cooker then obviously yours will look different. If so, you might need to cut some of your potatoes into slightly different shapes and sizes to get them to properly fit.

How many kofta meatball patties & slices of tomatoes and potatoes you need will ultimately depend on the size & shape of your slow cooker and how thick you slice. I needed more when I made this using my 3.5-quart Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker than when I made it in my oval 3.5-quart slow cooker. Same quart size but the different shape meant I needed more tomatoes & potatoes. For your 1st time making this, it might be a bit of trial and error.

Baking Instructions

I normally don’t had the additional baking instructions but because Joyce’s original recipe was baked in her honor I will include them here: Preheat oven to 450F. Follow instructions below to form kofta patties and make the tomato sauce. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange kofta patties, potatoes, and tomatoes in the slow cooker, alternating each one. Pour sauce on top. Bake 10-15 min. Turn heat down to 385F and bake for 30-45 min, depending on your oven. You’ll know it’s done with the potatoes are tender.

This is great by itself with a side salad or green vegetable. You can also serve this over rice (regular or cauliflower). 3.5-quart Crock-Pot Casserole Crock Slow Cooker for this recipe.

Other casserole recipes you might enjoy:

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Casserole

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Caprese Chicken Casserole

Slow Cooker Turkey Burger Casserole

Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Chicken Pizza Casserole

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Slow Cooker Kofta Casserole (Paleo, Whole30)

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 1x

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Ingredients

• 4 large (approximately 2 pounds) potatoes, peeled & sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 4 large (approximately  2.5 pounds) tomatoes & sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

KOFTA

• 2 pounds ground meat
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon mint
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

SAUCE

• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 garlic cloves, minced

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Instructions

1. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together kofta ingredients. Form kofta into even size patties using approx 1/4 cup of mixture per patty.
3. Arrange kofta patties, potatoes, and tomatoes in the slow cooker, alternating each one.
4. In a small bowl mix together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce on top of the food in the slow cooker.
5. Cook HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8.

Notes

Baking instructions are included in the blog post.

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