Cheesy Hamburger and Potato Casserole

5 from 1 rating

Cheesy Hamburger and Potato Casserole

This comforting, cheesy hamburger and potato casserole is a true one-pot dinner you can throw together in only 15 minutes, and it makes fantastic leftovers. Using convenient storebought frozen potatoes, you’ll want to make this delicious, homemade comfort food a permanent part of your meal plan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesy ham and potato casserole, ham and cheese potato casserole, potato and ham casserole

Servings:

Author: Sarah Cook

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef {I used 85/15}
4 cloves garlic {finely minced}
1/2 cup white onion {finely minced}
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp salted butter (for sauce){plus more for the pan}
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups whole milk {warmed}
3 tbsp tomato paste
32 oz frozen cubed potatoes {do not thaw}
3 cups extra sharp cheddar, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan/skillet/Dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium heat, breaking it apart.
1 lb ground beef
Cook until it is ~75% cooked through, and add the garlic, onion, black pepper, kosher salt, and smoked paprika.
4 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup white onion, 3/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Cook until softened, and the ground beef is thoroughly cooked through.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the ground beef and place it in a large bowl. Set aside.
Drain all but 1 tbsp of grease from the skillet.
Add the butter to the skillet and melt it over medium-low heat.
3 tbsp salted butter
Sprinkle the flour over the butter, and whisk to form a paste. Cook down for 3 minutes, whisking often.
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Slowly and gradually pour in the warmed milk, whisking constantly to incorporate.
2 1/4 cups whole milk
Stir in the tomato paste.
3 tbsp tomato paste
Increase the temperature to medium and bring the milk mixture to a near boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
In the large mixing bowl, combine the frozen potatoes, ground beef, 2 cups of cheddar (reserving 1 cup for later), and the milk mixture, and stir gently until combined.
32 oz frozen cubed potatoes, 3 cups extra sharp cheddar, shredded
Add the potato mixture to the buttered baking dish.
Cover tightly with foil and bake covered at 350˚F for 45 minutes.
Pro tip: spray the underside of the foil with cooking spray to prevent any potatoes from sticking to it.
Uncover and gently stir the mixture. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Top with reserved cheddar and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melty.

Notes

If using fresh potatoes, you'll need ~2.5 lbs, which is ~5 medium potatoes
If using lean ground beef, you likely won't have enough grease to use in step 7. In that case, use 1 tbsp of olive oil or add an additional tbsp of butter in step 8

Nutrition