Old-Fashioned Hamburger Casserole

Just about everyone's mom or grandma had some version of creamy hamburger potato casserole for dinner. An easy recipe, old-fashioned hamburger casserole relies on creamy canned soup and a few other simple ingredients for its flavor and texture!

When you have the craving for comfort food, serving up a homemade sliced potato casserole with ground beef is the answer!!

Making food that people love is a passion of mine and making this ground beef and potato dish has been one of my signature star meals for a very long time. It always gets rave reviews!!

Whether you’re making it for a potluck or serving it to family and friends, this old-fashioned hamburger casserole is a guaranteed hit every time.

Add an easy vegetable side to this quick ground beef and potato recipe such as instant pot asparagus or air fryer parmesan green beans and you've got a complete meal with very little effort.

For more ideas of what to make with potatoes and ground beef, you might love this slow cooker beef recipe with potatoes.

Why This Recipe Works

• Making beef and potato bake requires very little planning.
• Super easy to prepare.
• Simple ingredients that many of us have in our pantries regularly.
• Ground beef and potatoes recipe that's perfect for groups and potluck dinners.
• Lots of variations. It's a great recipe when looking to clean out your fridge. Start by pulling out all your vegetables. I guarantee that most of them will work well in this recipe.
• A wholesome substitute for Hamburger Helper. It’s more substantial thanks to adding a little extra meat and cheese.

Ingredients

The basic ingredients to make old-fashioned hamburger casserole are simple and readily available at most grocery stores.

• Ground beef: Hamburger makes an inexpensive option for meals. To keep things inexpensive you can choose one with higher fat and drain it well before continuing to cook the recipe.  
• Potatoes: It doesn’t matter what potatoes you use. Russet, Yukon gold or White potatoes all work really well.
• Shredded cheese: Choose your favorite variety but I like a sharp flavor and good melting cheese such as cheddar. Depending on your love of cheese, top it with as much or as little as you like.
• Veggies: Mushrooms, onion, and garlic.
• Condensed cream soup: The main ones I use are mushroom and celery but there are others you can choose to use as well.
• Broth: The addition of the broth gives moisture to the casserole which will help the potatoes cook.
• Whipping cream: Adds creaminess to the sauce. You can also use regular milk or heavy cream.
• Seasoning: Paprika, salt, black pepper
• Topping: Crispy fried onions and parmesan cheese.

Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full ingredient list and quantities of each.

How to Make Hamburger and Potato Casserole

Let's look at what goes into making this easy dinner meal. For the full instructions, please check the recipe card at the end of the page.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

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2. Slice and prepare the potatoes. Set aside for a few minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until slightly tender.

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4. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a colander to drain. If using leaner cuts of ground meat, this step may not be necessary. Set this aside for a bit.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the soup, broth, cream, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything together with a whisk.

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6. Layer half of the potatoes allowing them to overlap across the bottom of your prepared pan. Your goal is to cover the entire bottom of the pan with potatoes.
7. Next, pour about half of the soup mixture over top of the potatoes.

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8. Next, add half of the cooked meat mixture, followed by half of the cheese.

9. Repeat the same layers again with the remaining potatoes, soup, and meat mixture. Last top with the crispy fried onions and the rest of the cheese
10. Cover the baking dish with lightly sprayed aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 90 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

HINT: It's important to coat your lid or tinfoil with cooking spray so the cheeses do not stick to it.

11. When the beef potato bake is done cooking, remove the cover and broil if desired. Allow the casserole to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

What's the Best Way to Cut Potatoes for Cheesy Hamburger Casserole?

This minced Beef and potato recipe is perfect whether you slice or dice potatoes. I have made it both ways and it comes out beautifully though to be honest, sliced potatoes usually cook more quickly.

• Slice size. When slicing, the potatoes should be between ⅛ or ¼ inch as a general rule of thumb. The thinner the potato slices, the faster they will cook and your slices need to be as close to the same size as possible for even cooking.
• Method: Slicing the potatoes by hand with a sharp knife is just fine. But to speed things up and achieve more consistency in slice size, you can use a slicing blade that attaches to your food processor or a mandolin.

HINT: Mandolins are excellent for guaranteeing that every potato slice is exactly the same thickness. They cut more quickly and are more accurate than a knife.

No matter which method you choose, just make sure your potato pieces are about the same size so they will cook evenly. This ensures your minced beef with sliced potatoes turns out even better.

Substitutions and Variations

There are lots of variations when it comes to making hamburger and potato casserole! Let's look at a few.

• Cheese: Change up the cheese and try using Havarti, Romano, Colby, Swiss, Gouda, and so many more. Just about any cheese that melts well with work.
• Vegetarian: Swap the hamburger for vegetarian ground beef or other meat substitutes such as tofu. Crumbled extra firm tofu works well as it has a meatier texture and easily absorbs the flavors of the creamy soup and the vegetables in the recipe.
• Lower-fat: For a lighter version, use the reduced-fat cream soups. They're fewer calories without losing the flavor.
• Change up the condensed soup: It is unbelievable the number of condensed soups you can use in this creamy hamburger potato casserole.
• More onion flavor: If you like onions, add one-half a package of dried onion soup mix. It really brings out that oniony flavor.
• Spicy: If you like a kick, add a little hot sauce or spice it up with some chili powder.
• Mix in some veggies: Peas, corn, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. If using canned be sure to drain first and if using fresh, partially cook them briefly before adding them to the casserole so they come out tender. Frozen veggies are easy as you can simply mix them in straight from the freezer.
• Bacon: Crumble 8 - 10 slices of cooked crispy bacon and sprinkle it over the top with the remaining cheese. It’s heavenly.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Store your casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Store leftovers in the freezer well-covered for up to three months. Allow them to thaw out in the fridge overnight before reheating. Make sure you mark the date down so you know how long it has been in your freezer.
• Reheat: Transfer leftovers to a baking dish and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Heat in a 350° F oven for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Add more cheese on top if desired and heat again until melted. You can also use the microwave to reheat one portion of hamburger potato casserole.

Expert Tips

• Slice the potatoes evenly. This ensures the cheesy hamburger casserole cooks evenly.
• Cook the ground beef first. This browns the beef but also makes it easy to drain off any excess grease so it doesn't end up in your casserole.
• Spray the side of the foil facing the casserole with cooking spray. This keeps the cheese from sticking and coming off the casserole when you uncover it.

FAQs

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This post was originally published in April 2020. It has been updated with new images and content.