Easy Cheesy Potato Hamburger Casserole Recipe
Layers of tender potatoes, flavorful ground beef, and creamy cheese sauce make this hamburger potato casserole recipe a winner!
This is the ultimate comfort food — the layers of creamy sauce combined with rich beef and potato filling and topped with gooey melted cheese is perfect for a cold winter day. The next time you need a filling and delicious meal for the whole family, this ground beef potato casserole is the answer.
While this recipe does take some time to bake, it only requires a few minutes of hands-on time. It’s super simple, but makes a hearty meal with amazing flavor that can feed up to 8. We often use the main dish for Sunday dinner with friends!
Ingredients
This hearty ground beef casserole is made from just a few simple ingredients!
- Ground Beef: Lean ground beef is best for this dish: I like 85/15. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey, if you’re looking to save on calories!
- Minced Onion: You can also use a fresh chopped onion.
- Potatoes:Russet potatoes or yukon gold potatoes are best for this recipe.
- Shredded Cheese: I used shredded cheddar cheese mixed with colby jack cheese to get a delicious mix. You can use any cheese that will melt well.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: You can sub this with canned cream of chicken soup, cream of broccoli, cream of celery, or even cheddar soup!
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or non-dairy, for this recipe.
Instructions
Step 1 | Brown the Beef
In a large skillet, brown the beef with the minced onion. Season with salt and pepper as you brown it. You wan to make sure that there’s no pink color left in your ground beef. Drain off the grease, then put the ground beef to the side.
Step 2 | Prep Potatoes
Peel your potatoes, then slice them into thin slices. I like mine less than 1/4″ thick. I love to use my mandoline* to get the slices perfectly even. This helps them to cook more evenly.
Step 3 | Layer the Casserole
Now, let’s put it all together. Start by spraying your casserole dish or 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Then, lay down a single layer of potato slices. Top the sliced potatoes with half of the browned ground beef, then sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over that. Repeat this for one more layer of potatoes, ground beef, and cheese.
For the final layer, cover the top with potato slices in a single layer. Then, mix the mushroom soup and milk in a small mixing bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the top of the potatoes, then top the casserole with the remaining cheese.
Step 4 | Bake
Cover your baking dish with aluminum foil, then bake your casserole for 45 minutes at 375°.
After 45 minutes remove the foil, then bake another 15 minutes to get the cheese a lovely golden brown.
Step 5 | Enjoy!
This casserole is best if you let it rest for about 10 minutes so that creamy sauce can set up. We serve this topped with fresh herbs (thyme is my favorite), some bread, and a side salad or steamed veggies. It’s so good, and makes a fantastic meal for a crowd!
Substitutions
This recipe is pretty versatile: you can make several subtitutions to customize your own comforting dish.
- For the beef: You can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground sausage for this recipe. Alternately, you can leave the beef out for a potatoes au gratin recipe.
- For the potatoes: This recipe can also be done with sweet potatoes!
- For the soup: Basically, any condensed cream soup will work in this recipe. Feel free to play with flavors!
- For the milk and cheese: If you’re looking to make this dairy-free you can use plant milk and dairy-free cheese.
More Delicious Casseroles
FAQs
Yes, you can assemble the casserole ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. Just cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
Yes, you can add vegetables like peas, carrots, or green beans to enhance the flavor and nutrition. Just layer them between the potatoes and ground beef for even cooking.
*This post may contain sponsored links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through one of the links, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I personally use and believe will add value to my readers.
Easy Cheesy Potato Hamburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp dried minced onion
- 5-6 medium potatoes
- 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a skillet, brown ground beef and minced onion. Drain grease and place to the side.
- Peel and slice potatoes. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Place potato slices in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.
- Top potato layer with 1/2 the ground beef and 1/3 of the cheese.
- Repeat the potato and ground beef/cheese layer once more.
- Add a third layer of potato slices.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk and mushroom soup. Whisk to combine.
- Pour soup mixture over casserole, then top with remaining cheese.
- Cover tightly with foil, then bake at 375° for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for additional 15 minutes.
- Allow casserole to rest about 10 minutes before serving.
