Ground Beef and Potato Casserole

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Ground Beef and Potato Casserole

An easy one pan comfort food dinner the whole family enjoys - warm, creamy and delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Resting10

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 474kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
8 oz mushrooms chopped
1-½ pounds ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons garlic herb or all-purpose seasoning more or less to taste
⅔ cup flour
2-½ cups chicken broth
2 pounds potatoes peeled and diced into no larger than 0.3-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
½ cup heavy cream OR half-and-half
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or more to taste

Instructions

Prep:
Heat the oven to 350F. This recipe works best in a 3.5 - 4 quart oven-safe skillet. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the mixture to a ~4 quart casserole dish for baking instead.
Get your ingredients ready.
Cook vegetables:
Heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat in your oven-safe skillet or braiser. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until starting to soften - about 5 minutes.
2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 medium onion, 8 oz mushrooms
Brown beef:
Add the ground beef and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Stir in the tomato paste and seasoning.
1-½ pounds ground beef, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 teaspoons garlic herb or all-purpose seasoning
Make gravy:
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and vegetables, stirring until no more dry spots are visible. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring until smooth.
⅔ cup flour, 2-½ cups chicken broth
Simmer potatoes:
Stir the potatoes into the ground beef mixture. Bring to a simmer once, then reduce the heat to a low simmer - medium-low to low. Cover with a lid and simmer until the potatoes are halfway tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir from time to time to keep the dish from scorching on the bottom, and keep the heat at a low simmer!
2 pounds potatoes
Finish:
Whisk the half-and-half with the cornstarch, then stir into the skillet. Stir in ½ cup shredded cheddar, and top the casserole with the remaining cheese (or however much cheese you like.)
½ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Bake:
Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are bubbly, the top is golden and the potatoes are tender. If the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.
Once done, let the casserole sit on the counter for 10 minutes to allow the gravy to thicken, then serve (the longer the casserole sits, the thicker it gets - if you like a really thick/chunky casserole, plan for 20 minutes of resting.)

Notes

Potato size: Make sure to cut the potatoes into 0.25-0.3 inch cubes, not larger. If you cut them too big, they may not cook in time.
Watch the heat: While simmering the potatoes on the stove, keep the heat at the lowest simmer and stir frequently to keep it from burning on the bottom of the pan.
Resting time: Don't skip the resting time at the end, it helps the gravy to thicken and the casserole to settle.

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