If there is one dish that Dutch cuisine is known for, it is kale stew. It is the most famous and one of the tastiest comfort food stews. This variation with crispy fried bacon bits gives a nice taste to this classic.
The meatballs with gravy complete the dish. This is a recipe that the whole family will enjoy, and it is extra tasty on cold days. The recipe is easy and makes a traditional Dutch dish.

Kale Mash and Meatballs in Rich Homemade Gravy
I love Dutch stamppot. When the weather gets colder, they are often on the table here. This kale mashed potatoes (Dutch Boerenkoolstamppot) with meatballs in gravy is a favorite.
It is a delicious, creamy mashed potato, and the crispy bacon bits are just a little sweeter because of the Maple syrup. That gives a nice contrast to the hearty kale. And the meatballs? They finish it off! Ideal for a weekday meal.
What do you need?
You probably already know many of the ingredients. Here are a few highlighted:
Ingredients Boerenkoolstamppot (Kale Mash)

- Potatoes: Use floury potatoes to make this recipe. Russet, Doré, King Edward, and Maris Piper are great choices.
- Kale: A sturdy vegetable that is perfect for mashed potatoes. You can also replace it with endive or spinach for a lighter flavor.
- Coarse mustard: Gives a kick to the mashed potatoes and the meatballs. Fine mustard is also possible, which gives a more subtle flavor.
- Maple syrup is a sweet addition to the bacon. If you don't have this at home, golden syrup or honey also works well!
Ingredients Meatballs and Gravy

- Ground Beef: Ground beef gives the meatballs a hearty, full flavor. For a lighter dish, you can use half-and-half ground beef.
- Kecap Medja: A sweet, Indonesian soy sauce that adds depth to the meatballs and gravy. Alternatively, you can use Kecap Manis or Japanese soy sauce, but the flavor will be less sweet.
- Chicken-Beef Bouillon: This gives the gravy a deep flavor. Do you only have one type of bouillon cube? That is also possible, but the combination gives a better balance.
Preparation

- Place the potatoes and kale in a large pot with hot water and cook until the potatoes are done. Drain. Meanwhile, fry the onions with bacon for 3 minutes and add the Maple syrup. Fry for 30 seconds.
- Mash the potatoes with kale, add the bacon, butter, mustard, nutmeg, vinegar, and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix the minced meat with mustard, egg, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Roll the minced meat into balls of 1 inch (2-3 cm) in diameter. Melt the butter in the pan and brown the meatballs on all sides. Add ½ cup (100 ml) of water and cook the balls for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the balls from the pan and add the flour. Fry for two minutes. Mix the stock cubes with the hot water and pour it into the pan. Stir until a smooth gravy is formed. Return the meatballs to the pan and heat until warm. Add extra stock if the gravy becomes too dry.

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📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Ingredients
Ingredients for the stamppot
- 2 pounds potatoes, floury
- 1 pound kale, chopped finely
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup bacon bits
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon coarse mustard
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- black pepper and salt, to taste
Ingredients for the meatballs and gravy
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon coarse mustard
- 1 egg, size M
- 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon kecap medja
- black pepper and salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ chicken stock cube
- ½ beef stock cube
- 1 ½ cup hot water
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can slect which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Preparation of the boerenkoolstamppot
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Put them together with the kale in a large mash pan. Add water until everything is just covered, and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes and kale for about 20 minutes until done.2 pounds potatoes, 1 pound kale
- While the potatoes and kale cook, fry the bacon in a frying pan. After a few minutes, add the finely chopped onion and fry everything for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the maple syrup and fry for another half minute.1 onion, ½ cup bacon bits, 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Drain the potatoes and kale and mash them with a potato masher. Mix the onion-bacon mixture with the vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, butter, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.2 tablespoons white vinegar, ½ tablespoon Japanese soy sauce, 1 tablespoon coarse mustard, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, black pepper and salt
Preparation of the meatballs in gravy
- Put the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mustard, egg, breadcrumbs, kecap, pepper, and salt. Mix everything well and roll small balls of 1 inch (2-3 cm) in diameter.1 pound ground beef, 1 tablespoon coarse mustard, 1 egg, 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon kecap medja, black pepper and salt
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and fry the meatballs until golden brown all around. Add ½ cup (100 ml) of water, put a lid on the pan, and fry the balls for about 15 minutes until done. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.2 tablespoons butter
- Crumble the stock cubes into the hot water. Add the flour to the pan where the meatballs were and fry for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the stock while stirring to create a smooth gravy. Let it simmer until the gravy thickens slightly.½ chicken stock cube, ½ beef stock cube, 1 ½ cup hot water, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Put the meatballs back in the pan with the gravy and heat them up again.
Serving
- Serve the kale mash on plates and add a few delicious meatballs. Spoon some of the homemade gravy over the mash and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: You can store the mash and meatballs in the fridge for 2–3 days.
- Freezer: Store in a freezer box or bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheat:
- Oven: Put the boerenkoolstamppot in the oven dish and add the meatballs and sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs with a few knobs of butter on top. Heat in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) or until the mash is warm.
- Frying pan (skillet): Melt butter in a frying pan and fry the mash in the pan. Put the meatballs in a second frying pan. Fry until everything is warm.
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