Hamburger Potato Casserole

Look no further than this hamburger potato casserole recipe when you are craving a delicious and hearty meal. It’s perfect for an easy family dinner or potluck. This dish is sure to please everyone at the table. With ground beef, potatoes, and a creamy sauce, it has all the flavors you love. It is so easy to make, that you'll never eat a boxed dinner again.

side of white baking dish with cheese topped casserole

What To Serve with Hamburger Meat Casserole

This is the perfect recipe to create a filling dinner that everyone will love. When you are looking for side dishes to serve alongside it, you can always serve steamed veggies, like broccoli, carrots, or green beans. You can also go with a classic side salad.

Even a serving of apple sauce will round out this meal. If you have more time to spend making your side dish, you can make roasted vegetables. Of course, another casserole is a great choice for an easy side. You can easily whip up a batch of spinach casserole or asparagus casserole to create a full meal the family will beg for time and again.

As with any entree, I also love to serve a side of crusty bread because it is perfect for dipping in the sauce.

slice of hamburger casserole in white bowl next to striped napkins

Ingredients

1 pound of potatoes (500 g)
1 pound of ground beef (500 g)
1 ⅔ cup prepared bechamel sauce (395 ml)
1 medium onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (120 g)
½ cup milk (120 ml)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (6g)
1 tablespoon mustard (15g)
2 garlic cloves
1 ½ teaspoon salt (9g)
1 teaspoon black pepper (6g)

Note: You can use any prepared bechamel sauce for this recipe, or follow a basic recipe and make your own bechamel sauce.

white ramekins and bowls of ingredients including raw ground beef on white table by striped napkin

Kitchen Tools You Need

image looking down at white oval casserole dish filled with cheese topped food sitting on top of wooden slat on white table

How to Make a Hamburger Potato Casserole

To prepare for this recipe, you will want to cook the potatoes in advance. For this, I used mashed potatoes. Simply peel, boil, and mash the potatoes, but you can add butter, salt, black pepper, or other spices if desired. Set these aside.

Then, prepare the baking dish (9"-10") by spraying the bottom with non-stick spray and setting it aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.

Now, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and ground beef. Cook this, stirring regularly, for 8 to 10 minutes until the ground beef is no longer pink and cooked through.

onions and raw ground beef in skillet on hot plate

Season the meat with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Then, stir in the minced garlic and mustard.

To this, add the milk and prepared bechamel sauce. Combine everything well, then cook for an additional 5-minutes to heat through.

hamburger in sauce bubbling in skillet on hot plate

While this is heating, you will spread about ½ of the mashed potato mixture onto the bottom of your baking dish.

Then, top the potatoes with the meat and sauce mixture.

On top of that, spread the remaining potatoes, and then cover the top with shredded cheddar cheese.

spoon of potatoes on top of meat mixture in white casserole dish

Now, bake this for 35 to 40 minutes. You want it to heat through completely, be bubbly, and for the cheese to melt on top until it is golden brown.

spatula lifting portion of hamburger potato casserole from white dish

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Make This a Low Sodium Hamburger Potato Casserole?

Since you are making this hamburger potato casserole from scratch rather than making it from a boxed mix, you are already reducing the sodium. Whenever you use a prepackaged meal, there is always a lot of sodium added to the ingredients to help make it shelf stable and to help increase the flavor. Making food from scratch reduces the sodium and makes it taste so much better.

If you need to watch your sodium intake, you can reduce the amount of salt added to the meat and potatoes, or substitute in a no-salt herb blend such as Mrs. Dash or other popular salt substitutes in the spice and seasonings section of your grocery store.

Can I Make This With Different Ground Meats?

Absolutely. Ground beef is traditional, but you can definitely use something lighter like ground turkey or ground chicken. If you want to add more flavor, you can use half beef and half pork, or even throw in ½ pound of Italian sausage for an added boost of flavor in the end result.

How Do I Freeze Hamburger Potato Casserole?

Hamburger potato casserole is a great recipe to make ahead and freeze. It can last in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, first cook the casserole ingredients according to the recipe instructions, and assemble them, but do not bake them. Once it is ready, wrap it well with plastic wrap and then cover it with aluminum foil. Label it and place it in the freezer. When you are ready to bake it, take it from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. When baking, follow the directions, although, if it is cold, it might take a few extra minutes.

If you bake the casserole first, you can freeze the leftovers either straight from the oven or preportioned in individual servings. Once it is cooked, allow it to cool. Then, transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. When you are ready to eat it, you can reheat it from frozen if it is individual servings, or let thaw in the refrigerator.

oval white dish of hamburger potato casserole

More Ground Beef Casserole Recipes

If you are looking for more ways to use up the ground beef in your freezer, look no further than these ideas below. There are a variety of ideas from classic comfort food to Tex-Mex-inspired dishes. Get creative in the kitchen and turn boring ground meat into a flavor-packed meal with one of these recipe ideas. Make sure that you bookmark the recipes, print them out, or just pin them to Pinterest so they are handy for your next weeknight meal or menu plan!

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