Everyone loves this easy ground beef potato casserole! Tender potatoes, savory ground beef, rich cream cheese, juicy tomatoes, and savory cheese combine into a hearty dish. The recipe comes together with easy ingredients and is on the table in under an hour – perfect for a quick midweek dinner!
For more ground beef casseroles, try our veggie ground beef casserole, hamburger casserole, and ground beef rice casserole.
Ground beef casserole with potatoes and cheese
My cheesy ground beef and potato casserole is one easy and delicious meal! It’s a fusion of browned beef, creamy potatoes, and melted cheddar, baked to hearty dinner perfection.
The recipe is quick, making it a handy choice for busy weeknights. You can also prep it ahead of time. It uses simple, kid-friendly ingredients that you’ll likely store in your fridge and pantry.
Hamburger helper, sheet pan gnocchi, and chicken pot pie are some of my other favorite easy dinner ideas!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes – I love russet potatoes because they cook tender and soak up a lot of the flavors. You can also opt for Yukon gold or red potatoes if that’s what you have available.
- 1 pound ground beef – I prefer 80/20 ground beef, but you can select a fattier meat if desired.
- 8 oz whipped cream cheese spread – adds creaminess to the casserole. To save time, grab a tub of soft cream cheese spread. If using block-style cream cheese, let it soften on the counter for 30 minutes before you start.
- 3 tomatoes, sliced – I love the juiciness tomatoes add. Alternatively, select canned tomatoes for convenience.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil – Vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil are fine too.
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning – bolsters the other aromas in this casserole.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder – Feel free to substitute 2 finely minced garlic cloves.
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese – Medium white cheddar works great because it melts better than aged but still offers plenty of savory flavor.
Variations
- Meat: Instead of ground beef, try ground chicken or turkey or a mix of your favorite ground meat.
- Vegetarian: For a vegetarian potato casserole, swap the ground beef for mushrooms, lentils, or a vegetarian ground meat alternative.
- Pasta: To make the casserole with pasta in place of potatoes, cook 1 pound of short pasta (such as shells, penne, or macaroni).
- Cheese: Feel free to swap out cheddar for Colby cheese, Monterey jack, Havarti, gruyere, mozzarella, blue cheese, or your favorite melting cheese.
- Veggies: Add 1 to 2 cups of cooked or sautéed veggies like peas, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, or corn.
- Seasonings: Substitute Italian seasoning for fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano, or another herb mix.
Instructions
1. Cook Potatoes
In a large pot of salted water, cook the potatoes, uncovered, over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are done (tender when pierced with a fork). Drain well and set aside to cool.
2. Brown ground beef
While the potatoes are cooking, add the ground beef to a large skillet and crumble with a spatula. Cook over medium heat until the meat is cooked through and browned. Remove from the heat and season with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
Cook ground beef: Using a skillet, break the ground meat into similar-size chunks so that they cook evenly. It will take 6 to 10 minutes to cook a pound of ground beef. The meat is done when you don’t see any pink color.
Drain the fat: I usually don’t drain the ground beef because it keeps the casserole flavorful and succulent. Of course, you could drain it if you used fattier ground beef and a lot of fat was released.
3. Make cream cheese mixture
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
4. Slice potatoes
Cut the cooled potatoes into 1/2-inch / 1.25 cm thick slices.
5. Prepare for baking
Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / gas mark 5. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish or deep-dish pie pan with olive oil (1 tablespoon).
6. Assemble casserole
Arrange alternating layers of potato rounds, tomato slices, dollops of cream cheese, and ground beef in the casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheese and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add more cheese: For an extra cheesy ground beef casserole, double the amount of cheese. Add more cheese to the topping and sprinkle in extra cheese between the layers.
7. Bake
Bake the casserole for 15 minutes, until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted. Since the components are already cooked, it goes quickly.
8. Serve
Scoop servings from underneath so you get all the layers and serve warm. If desired, sprinkle with coarse pepper and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
This potato ground beef casserole is a hearty and filling dinner on its own. If you like, serve it with a veggie side, such as roasted zucchini and mushrooms or roasted broccoli and carrots for extra goodness. We also love it with buttery garlic bread and fresh green salad.
Store & Reheat
- Make-ahead: Prepare the recipe through step 6, tightly cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to eat, bake the casserole as indicated. For even cooking, remove the casserole 20 minutes before it goes into the oven.
- Store: Keep leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave or in a 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4 oven until hot.
- Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this casserole. The potatoes get an unpleasant texture after freezing and thawing. If you need less servings, halve the ingredients and bake in a 9×9-inch / 23 cm baking pan.
Ground Beef Potato Casserole Recipe
Everyone loves this easy ground beef potato casserole! Tender potatoes, savory ground beef, rich cream cheese, juicy tomatoes, and savory cheese combine into a hearty dish. The recipe comes together with easy ingredients and is on the table in under an hour – perfect for a quick midweek dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 lb / 900 g Russet potatoes
- 1 lb / 450 g ground beef (80/20 works well)
- 8 oz / 225 g whipped cream cheese spread
- 3 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper, divided (or to taste)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup / 115 g / 4 oz shredded white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook potatoes. In a large pot of salted water, cook the potatoes, uncovered, over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are done (tender when pierced with a fork). Drain well and set aside to cool.
- Brown ground beef. While the potatoes are cooking, add the ground beef to a large skillet and crumble with a spatula. Cook over medium heat until the meat is cooked through and browned. Remove from the heat and season with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Make cream cheese mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Slice potatoes. Cut the cooled potatoes into 1/2-inch / 1.25 cm thick slices.
- Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / gas mark 5. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish or deep-dish pie pan with olive oil (1 tablespoon).
- Assemble casserole. Arrange alternating layers of potato rounds, tomato slices, dollops of cream cheese, and ground beef in the casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheese and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Bake. Bake the casserole for 15 minutes, until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted. Since the components are already cooked, it goes quickly.
- Serve. Scoop servings from underneath so you get all the layers and serve warm. If desired, sprinkle with coarse pepper and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Cook ground beef: Using a skillet, break the ground meat into similar-size chunks so that they cook evenly. It will take 6 to 10 minutes to cook a pound of ground beef. The meat is done when you don’t see any pink color.
Drain the fat: I usually don’t drain the ground beef because it keeps the casserole flavorful and succulent. Of course, you could drain it if you used fattier ground beef and a lot of fat was released.
Add more cheese: For an extra cheesy ground beef casserole, double the amount of cheese. Add more cheese to the topping and sprinkle in extra cheese between the layers.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 462Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 687mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 24g
