Cheesy Ground Beef & Potato Casserole

🧀 Cheesy Ground Beef & Potato Casserole

A hearty, family-friendly casserole with seasoned ground beef, tender potatoes, creamy sauce, and plenty of melted cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef

• 4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 can (10.5 oz / 300 g) cream of mushroom soup

• ½ cup milk

• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp salt, or to taste

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Optional: ½ tsp dried thyme or parsley

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

2. Brown the beef: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ground beef and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking up the meat. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Drain excess fat.

3. Make the sauce: Stir together the cream of mushroom soup, milk, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.

4. Layer: Arrange half the sliced potatoes in the baking dish. Add half the beef mixture and about ½ cup of cheese. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and beef.

5. Add sauce: Pour the soup mixture evenly over everything. Cover tightly with foil.

6. Bake covered for 45 minutes.

7. Add cheese: Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar over the top.

8. Bake uncovered for another 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is bubbling and golden.

9. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

🔥 For extra flavor

Add ½ cup diced bell pepper with the onions, or mix a little Worcestershire sauce into the browned beef.

Important: Slice the potatoes fairly thin and evenly—about ⅛ inch (3 mm)—so they cook through at the same rate.