Description
A hearty, family-friendly hamburger potato casserole featuring layers of thinly sliced potatoes, seasoned ground beef, and a creamy mushroom sauce, all topped with melted cheddar cheese. Perfect for weeknight dinners and meal prep.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef (or whatever’s on sale)
½ cup chopped onion (yellow or white, doesn’t matter)
3 cups peeled, thinly sliced potatoes (russets work best)
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
¾ cup milk (whatever kind you have)
Salt and black pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (pre-shredded saves time)
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease your baking dish while it’s heating up.
Brown the beef and onion in a big skillet. Break up the meat as it cooks. Takes about 6-8 minutes. Drain the fat off or your casserole will be greasy. I pour it into an old can and throw it away.
Mix the soup and milk in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper. Whisk it so there’s no lumps.
Start layering in your greased dish. Half the potatoes first, then half the beef, then half the soup mixture. Do it again – rest of potatoes, rest of beef, rest of soup. Press it down a little so everything fits.
Cover tight with foil. Bake 1 to 1½ hours. Check it with a fork – potatoes should be soft all the way through. If they’re still hard, keep going.
Take off the foil, sprinkle cheese on top. Bake another 5 minutes until it melts. Let it sit a few minutes before you cut into it.
Notes
Sometimes I add sour cream to the soup mixture. Makes it richer. Drain the beef really well or the whole thing gets greasy and gross. Pat the sliced potatoes dry with paper towels before layering them. Wet potatoes make the casserole watery.
If you want the cheese extra golden, stick it under the broiler for the last minute or two. But watch it close – it goes from golden to burnt fast.
Don’t use ground beef that’s too lean or it’ll be dry. 80/20 or 85/15 works best. The fat adds flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American