Cheesy One Pot Beef and Potatoes

Cheesy One Pot Beef and Potatoes is the ultimate weeknight dinner that brings together golden, crispy potatoes, savory ground beef, sweet peppers, and a blanket of melted cheddar cheese—all in ONE skillet! This hearty, family-friendly meal is ready in just 30 minutes and requires minimal cleanup.

Love More One Pot Recipes? Try My One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese or this One Pot Gnocchi Chicken Pot Pie next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This Cheesy One Pot Beef and Potatoes is a hearty, comforting meal packed with flavor. Tender potatoes, seasoned ground beef, and melted cheese come together in one pan for an easy, satisfying dinner that’s both creamy and delicious. Perfect for busy weeknights or when you crave something warm and filling!

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Ingredients List

Main Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1.8 pounds potatoes (starchy, preferably white potatoes)
• 2 Romano peppers, chopped (or bell peppers)
• 1.1 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (more for serving)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1½ cups grated cheddar cheese

Optional Toppings & Add-ins:

• Fried egg on top
• Dollop of garlicky tzatziki
• Green beans, zucchini, carrots, or green peas
• Extra chili flakes for garnish

Substitution Notes: Romano peppers are longer and sweeter than regular bell peppers. I find them at Trader Joe’s sometimes, but red or yellow bell peppers work fine. Whatever’s on sale, honestly. Swap chicken broth for vegetable broth if you want—just don’t use water. Trust me on that one.

Why These Ingredients Work

White potatoes or Russets are the way to go here. They get fluffy and absorb the broth without turning into mush. I used red potatoes once because that’s what I had, and the whole thing turned soupy. Never again.

Mixing butter with olive oil keeps the butter from burning while you brown the potatoes. My mom always did this with her roasted vegetables, and I finally get why.

Romano peppers add this sweetness that balances out the savory beef. But I’m not picky—whatever peppers are in my fridge go in the pan.

The cheese thing is where I get annoying about it. Buy a block and grate it yourself. The pre-shredded bags have powder on them to prevent clumping, so they don’t melt right. You end up with weird clumpy cheese instead of that smooth melted layer. Five minutes of grating is worth it.

Chicken broth brings everything together as it cooks down. The tomato paste adds this deep flavor that tricks people into thinking you spent way longer cooking than you did.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You need:

• Large nonstick skillet with lid (mine’s 12 inches)
• Knife and cutting board
• Box grater
• Wooden spoon

That’s it.

How To Make Cheesy One Pot Beef and Potatoes

Step 1: Do Your Prep Work

Chop everything before you start cooking. Peel the potatoes, cut them in half the long way, then slice them about ¼-inch thick. Chop your onion and parsley. Mince the garlic. Slice the peppers after you pull the seeds out.

I used to skip this step and try to chop while cooking, which just stressed me out. Having everything ready makes the whole process easier.

Step 2: Get Those Potatoes Golden

Put the oil and butter in your skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter melts and starts sizzling, add the potato slices. Cook them for 6 minutes, stirring a few times, until they’re golden on different sides.

This browning step matters. Those crispy bits add flavor that sticks around even after everything simmers together. Take the potatoes out and set them aside.

Step 3: Cook the Peppers and Brown the Beef

Throw the peppers in the same skillet. Cook them for 3 minutes until they soften up. Add the ground beef and break it up with your spoon. Let it brown for about 2 minutes. You’re not cooking it through yet—just getting color on it.

Step 4: Add the Aromatics and Spices

Add the garlic and onion. Cook for 2 minutes until your kitchen smells good and the onions look translucent.

Stir in the salt, chili flakes, black pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Add the tomato paste and mix until the beef is coated.

Step 5: Bring It All Together

Put the parsley and browned potatoes back in. Stir gently so you don’t break up the potato slices. Pour in the chicken broth.

Cover with the lid and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft when you poke them with a fork. Take the lid off and let the extra broth cook off. If there’s still liquid in the pan, turn the heat up for a minute.

Step 6: The Cheese Finale

Sprinkle the grated cheddar over everything. Put the lid back on and wait a minute or two for it to melt. Top with more parsley and chili flakes if you want. Serve it hot.

You Must Know

Cut those potatoes ¼-inch thick. Not thicker, not thinner. Too thick and they won’t cook through. Too thin and they fall apart. I measured mine with a ruler the first few times until I got the hang of it.

Personal Secret: I let the potatoes get darker than seems right in step 2. Really brown, almost like you might’ve overdone it. That caramelization is where the flavor lives, and even after simmering, you get little crispy edges throughout the dish.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Use the same pan the whole time. Each ingredient leaves flavor behind that makes the next one taste better.
• Don’t skip browning the potatoes just because they’ll cook later anyway. You’ll lose all that texture and flavor.
• Grate the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded doesn’t melt the same way.
• Add the broth at medium heat, not high. Too hot and it evaporates before the potatoes cook through.
• Use a food processor to slice the potatoes if you have one. Just keep them all the same thickness.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Once you’ve made this a few times, try switching it up:

• Mexican style: Use cumin and smoked paprika instead of Italian seasoning. Add a can of black beans. Use Mexican cheese blend.
• More vegetables: Frozen peas or diced zucchini go in during the last 5 minutes. I add vegetables whenever I need my kids to eat something green.
• Different cheese: Gouda tastes smoky. Swiss is nutty. Half mozzarella and half Parmesan is good too.
• Spicy: Add diced jalapeños with the peppers. Or use hot Italian sausage instead of ground beef.
• Creamy: Pour in a little heavy cream right before adding the cheese. It’s extra but tastes incredible.

Make-Ahead Options

This cooks fast enough that I don’t usually prep ahead. But if you want to:

• Prep ingredients: Chop the vegetables, slice the potatoes (keep them in water), and grate the cheese the night before. Store everything separately in the fridge.
• Partial prep: Brown the potatoes and cook the beef through step 4 a couple hours early. Reheat when you’re ready, add the potatoes and broth, and continue from step 5.
• Don’t make it fully ahead: The potatoes get weird when you reheat them after cooking with the cheese. Better to make it fresh.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• Starchy potatoes like Russets or white potatoes work best. They stay fluffy instead of getting gummy. Red potatoes turned my dinner into soup, so learn from my mistake.
• Liquid absorption varies based on your potatoes and how thick you sliced them. Extra broth in the pan? Just simmer uncovered on high for a few more minutes.
• Use a 12-inch skillet. Smaller pans crowd everything so it doesn’t brown right.

Serving Suggestions

I make a salad with this—greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and lemon vinaigrette. Something tangy cuts through the richness.

Other sides that work:

• Crusty bread for soaking up sauce
• Steamed broccoli
• Coleslaw
• Garlic bread

How to Store Your Cheesy One Pot Beef and Potatoes

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It thickens up as it sits, which actually tastes better the next day.

Freezer: Don’t freeze this. Potatoes get grainy and watery when you thaw them.

Reheating: Microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway. Or reheat in a skillet with a splash of broth. Sometimes I add fresh cheese on top.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy (butter and cheese)

Gluten-free: Yes.

Dairy-free: Use olive oil instead of butter. Swap in dairy-free cheese or skip it and use nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor.

Other allergens: No eggs, nuts, soy, or wheat.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My potatoes aren’t cooking through—what happened?

They’re too thick. They need to be ¼-inch to cook in the time. If you realize mid-cooking, add more broth and cook covered for another 5 minutes.

Can I make this in a different pan if I don’t have a large skillet?

Use a big sauté pan or wide pot with a lid. Just make sure it’s roomy enough that everything can brown and isn’t all piled up. Dutch oven works.

The cheese looks greasy or separated—why?

Pre-shredded cheese or too much heat. Turn off the heat before adding cheese and let it melt gently with just the lid on.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Tell me how it turned out. Did you change anything? Let me know!