Tray-Baked Kibbeh with Meat and Walnuts

Place the bulgur in a bowl and soak it in the hot water, making sure it is evenly moistened. Let it soak for 10 minutes, until the bulgur absorbs the water and softens.

Knead the soaked bulgur with the potatoes, tomato paste, flour, cumin, and salt until a firm, spreadable dough forms.

Sauté the white onion and olives in the olive oil over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the ground meat to the onion mixture and cook over medium heat, breaking it up and stirring until cooked through.

Stir the tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, and salt into the filling over medium heat until the tomato paste is evenly incorporated.

Stir the coarsely chopped walnuts into the meat filling until evenly distributed without losing their texture. Remove the filling from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly while preparing the pan.

Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with a thin, even layer of olive oil to prevent the kibbeh from sticking.

Spread half of the bulgur dough evenly over the bottom of the pan, reserving the other half to cover the filling.

Spread the meat and walnut filling evenly over the dough layer, taking it all the way to the edges.

Gently spread the remaining bulgur dough over the filling, closing any gaps and smoothing the surface.

Brush the top of the kibbeh with a light, even layer of olive oil to help it brown.

Score the kibbeh into even squares before baking, keeping the top layer neat and level.

. Use the oven's bake setting.

Let the kibbeh rest briefly before serving the squares so the layers hold together when lifted from the pan. Serve with pomegranate molasses, if desired.