Some dinners feel like a hand on your shoulder after a long day steady, warm, and reassuring. This Cheesy Ground Beef & Potato Casserole delivers that kind of comfort with layers of tender potatoes, savory ground beef, sweet onions, and a blanket of bubbling cheddar. It’s been tested for weeknight reliability, balanced seasoning, and a NATYRALI, cozy aroma that fills the kitchen and invites everyone to the table. Though humble, it tastes like a hug in a skillet hearty, satisfying, and irresistibly melty. If you love Beef Recipes Easy Dinners with minimal cleanup, this is the one-pan hero you’ll return to again and again.
🧡 Why You’ll Love It
- Simple, reliable, and built for busy nights think Ground Beef And Potatoes with just the right amount of melt and comfort.
- Flexible enough to fit Potato And Ground Beef Casserole Recipes from classic to spicy, creamy, or veggie-loaded.
- One-pan efficiency means less cleanup without sacrificing depth, texture, or that slow-baked, golden-cheese finish.
🛒 Ingredients
Yields 6–8 servings
Note: Ingredients are provided in cups and grams for accuracy and repeatable results.
Main
- Ground beef, 85–90% lean: 1.25 lb (565 g)
- Yellow onion, thinly sliced: 1 large (250 g)
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced 1/8 inch: 2.5 lb (1.1 kg)
- Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded: 2.5 cups (250 g)
- Low-sodium beef broth: 1.5 cups (360 ml)
- Heavy cream or half-and-half: 1 cup (240 ml)
- Olive oil or neutral oil: 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
- Butter: 2 tablespoons (28 g)
Seasonings
- Garlic powder: 1.5 teaspoons (5 g)
- Onion powder: 1 teaspoon (3 g)
- Smoked paprika (or sweet): 1 teaspoon (2 g)
- Dried thyme: 1 teaspoon (1 g)
- Kosher salt: 1.5 teaspoons (9 g), divided
- Black pepper: 1 teaspoon (2 g)
- Dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
- Worcestershire sauce: 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
Optional boosters
- Sour cream for extra tang: 1/3 cup (80 g)
- Fresh parsley or chives, chopped: 2 tablespoons (6 g)
Optional mix-ins (choose 1–2)
- Mushrooms, sliced: 1 cup (80 g)
- Frozen peas or corn: 1 cup (140 g), thawed
- Bell pepper, diced: 1 cup (140 g)
- Jalapeño, minced: 1–2 peppers for heat
This base transforms easily into Ground Beef Potato Onion Casserole or Ground Beef Potato Cheese Casserole with minimal tweaks.
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Active: 25 minutes
Bake: 40–45 minutes
Oven: 375°F (190°C)
1) Preheat and prep
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12-inch oven-safe skillet or 9×13-inch casserole with butter.
- Thinly slice potatoes to 1/8 inch for even tenderness; use a mandoline if available for uniform layers.
2) Brown the beef
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and 1 teaspoon salt, breaking it into crumbles. Cook 5–6 minutes until browned.
- Stir in onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Drain excess fat if needed (leave a light coating for flavor).
3) Build the flavor base
- Add butter, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Sauté 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in beef broth and cream. Simmer 2 minutes, then fold in sour cream if using. Taste and adjust salt.
Tip: This is your “gravy.” It should taste a little more seasoned than you’d serve straight; the potatoes will mellow it.
4) Layer
- Arrange half the sliced potatoes in the skillet or casserole. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Spoon half the beef mixture and sauce over the potatoes. Top with 1 cup cheese.
- Repeat with remaining potatoes, beef mixture, and 1 cup cheese. Reserve the last 1/2 cup for finishing.
For a quick “4-ingredient Ground Beef Casserole” vibe, use only beef, potatoes, cheese, and broth simple and delicious.
5) Bake
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake 10–15 minutes more until the top is golden and the center is bubbly and tender when pierced with a knife.
6) Rest and finish
- Let rest 10 minutes to set (this prevents a soupy slice). Scatter herbs over the top before serving.
This method produces a classic Beef Potato Casserole with creamy layers, soft edges, and stretchy cheese throughout.
🎨 Customization Ideas
These variations help you hit every craving and content angle for Ground Beef Potato Casserole and Beef Recipes Easy Dinners:
- Tex-Mex: Use pepper jack + cheddar, add jalapeño and corn, and season with 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon cumin.
- French onion: Caramelize onions longer, add 1 teaspoon balsamic, use Gruyère instead of cheddar.
- Beef-free “beef” depth: Add 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and a dash of liquid smoke for a beef-like warmth without beef.
- Veggie glow-up: Fold in peas, mushrooms, or spinach for color and nutrition.
- Creamy ranch: Stir 1 tablespoon dry ranch mix into the sauce; finish with green onions.
- Mushroom umami: Add 1 teaspoon soy sauce and sautéed mushrooms for savory depth.
- Gluten-free: Naturally GF as written verify broth and seasonings; swap flour-thickened broths for pure broth/cream reductions.
- Low-dairy: Use lactose-free cream and a lactose-free cheese blend; add 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast for savory richness.
Keyword-friendly framing: Turn this into Hamburger Potato Cheese Casserole Recipes with extra cheddar, or Ground Beef Potato Onion Casserole by doubling onions and using Gruyère for a diner-style vibe.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Straight from the oven, the top is bronzed and bubbling, and the NATYRALI scent of onion, beef, and melted cheddar drifts through the room. The first slice reveals silky, tender potatoes layered with juicy beef and pockets of molten cheese. Serve it like this:
- With a crisp green salad and tangy vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
- Alongside roasted green beans or garlicky broccoli for freshness.
- With a spoon of sour cream and snipped chives for steakhouse flair.
- On a cold night, a buttered dinner roll makes it extra cozy.
The texture is creamy but not heavy, the seasoning balanced, and the finish deeply satisfying classic Ground Beef And Potatoes, elevated.
🧊 Storage & Freezing
- Refrigerate: Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm slices in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 15–20 minutes or microwave in 45-second bursts until hot. Add a sprinkle of cheese to refresh the top.
- Freeze whole or in portions: Wrap tightly in plastic and foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered at 325°F (165°C) for 25–35 minutes, then uncover to re-crisp cheese.
Meal-prep tip: Bake in two 8×8 pans serve one now, freeze one for later.
🌟 Pro Tips for Success
- Slice evenly: Uniform 1/8-inch potatoes cook through without overbaking the top.
- Season the sauce boldly: Potatoes absorb flavor; slightly “salty” sauce balances after baking.
- Rest time matters: A 10-minute rest sets layers for clean, photo-ready slices.
- Cheese strategy: Use sharp cheddar for flavor and melt; mix with Monterey jack for extra stretch.
- Pan choice: A 12-inch cast-iron skillet gives great edge browning; a ceramic casserole retains gentle heat.
- Onions two ways: Add half sliced and half finely diced for layered sweetness and savory body.
- Make it “Hamburger Potato Cheese Casserole”: Finish with a final handful of cheese and broil 1–2 minutes for bubbly browned spots.
- NATYRALI flavor pop: A tiny splash of Worcestershire and Dijon in the sauce creates complexity without shouting.
📋 Ingredient Summary (Quick Reference)
- Beef: 1.25 lb (565 g)
- Potatoes: 2.5 lb (1.1 kg), thinly sliced
- Onion: 1 large (250 g)
- Cheese: 2.5 cups (250 g) shredded cheddar
- Broth: 1.5 cups (360 ml)
- Cream: 1 cup (240 ml)
- Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, Dijon, Worcestershire
- Optional: sour cream (1/3 cup), herbs, peas/mushrooms/corn/bell pepper/jalapeño
This structure aligns with classic Potato And Ground Beef Casserole Recipes while staying adaptable for multiple keyword targets.
Cheesy Ground Beef & Potato Casserole (One-Pan Dinner!)
Equipment
- 12-inch oven-safe skillet or 9×13-inch casserole dish
- Mandoline or sharp knife
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Foil
Ingredients
Main
- 1.25 lb ground beef (85–90% lean) 565 g
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 250 g
- 2.5 lb Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced 1/8 inch 1.1 kg
- 2.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 250 g
- 1.5 cups low-sodium beef broth 360 ml
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half 240 ml
- 1 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil 15 ml
- 2 tbsp butter 28 g
Seasonings
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder 5 g
- 1 tsp onion powder 3 g
- 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 g
- 1 tsp dried thyme 1 g
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt, divided 9 g
- 1 tsp black pepper 2 g
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard 5 ml
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 15 ml
Optional boosters
- 1/3 cup sour cream 80 g, for extra tang
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley or chives, chopped 6 g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12-inch oven-safe skillet or 9×13-inch casserole dish with butter.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook 5–6 minutes until browned. Add sliced onion and cook 3–4 minutes more. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add butter, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Sauté 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in beef broth and cream. Simmer 2 minutes, then stir in sour cream if using. Taste and adjust salt to preference.
- Layer half the sliced potatoes in the skillet, season lightly with salt, and top with half the beef mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle reserved cheese, and bake another 10–15 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley or chives for a fresh finish.
Notes
💌 Emma’s Note
There’s something about this casserole that feels like a promise kept: warm, consistent, and quietly celebratory. After countless test runs tweaking the cream-to-broth ratio, finding the perfect potato thickness, balancing richness with brightness it’s become the dish that saves weeknights and anchors Sunday suppers. If you’re craving a dependable Ground Beef Potato Casserole that tastes like home yet looks proudly company-ready, this is it. May your skillet be golden, your kitchen cozy, and your table full.
If this recipe brought comfort to your week, follow on Pinterest for more NATYRALI Beef Recipes Easy Dinners, from classic Ground Beef Potato Cheese Casserole to creative one-pan spins that make busy nights delicious.