Hamburger Potato Casserole | The Recipe Critic

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Hamburger Potato Casserole is hearty, filling, and great for family dinners. It’s full of tender potatoes and ground beef, smothered in a deliciously creamy sauce, and covered in melty cheese. Your family will love how cheesy and meaty it is!

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

Make Ahead: You can freeze this casserole or throw it in your fridge to pop it in the oven for dinner. I’m here to help make your life easier.
Family-Friendly: This recipe is good for everyone, both young and old. Your kids and the older members of your family will love it.
Comfort Food: The tender potatoes, savory meat, and cheesy sauce come together in a warm, comforting casserole. Serve it alone or with my Parker House rolls, broccoli salad, and banana pudding for dessert.

Ingredients Needed to Make Hamburger Potato Casserole

You only need simple ingredients for this easy casserole recipe. It creates something hearty and super yummy. You probably already have everything in your pantry, and they are super budget-friendly. For exact measurements, scroll to the bottom of the post.

Lean Ground Beef: Ground beef is a great protein with the perfect meaty texture.
Russet Potatoes: This hearty potato absorbs flavors and provides the best tender texture to carry the ingredients in this dish.
Yellow Onion: The sweet, crunchy texture and flavor goes well with the beef.
Minced Garlic: Adds the best savory flavor. I always say you can measure garlic with your heart.
Salt and Pepper: Brings out the flavor of everything in this dish.
Can Cream of Mushroom Soup: Makes the sauce creamy and flavorful. You can use store bought or my homemade cream of chicken soup recipe.
Can Cheddar Soup: Infuses the whole dish with a bold, cheesy flavor and creamy texture.
Whole Milk: Helps to thin the sauce while keeping it thick and creamy.
Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a unique tangy depth of flavor.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Melts over the top to give the hamburger potato casserole a gooey, golden cheesy crust.

Hamburger Potato Casserole Recipe

I love making this casserole on Sunday and having it in my fridge ready for dinner on a busy weeknight. Anything to help my day feel less stressful is a win in my book.

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and spray a 9x13x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare the potatoes by peeling and slicing them no bigger than ¼-inch thick disks.
Sautee: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion, and cook the meat. Break it apart and stir frequently until the beef is browned.
Combine: Add garlic, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook another minute, tossing to incorporate the seasonings. Remove the meat mixture from the heat and set aside.
Whisk: In a bowl, whisk together the mushroom soup, cheddar soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.
Layer: Assemble the casserole by laying down ⅓ of the meat mixture. Layer ⅓ of the potatoes over the meat, then pour ⅓ of the soup mixture over the potatoes and meat. Top this layer with ⅓ of the cheese.
Bake: Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the cheese. Cover the casserole in foil and bake for 90-120 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Melt Cheese: Uncover the casserole and bake another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned on top. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole Tips and Variations

This casserole is pretty straight forward. If you want to cut down the cooking time, I have tips below. You’ll also find a few variation ideas!

Protein: You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef for a healthier version.
Milk: I call for whole milk in this recipe but you can use any fat percentage.
French Fries: Try using frozen french fries instead of potatoes for a fun variation. The bake time will only be 40-45 minutes if you use frozen fries.
Potato Thickness: Cutting your potatoes to ¼ inch thick rounds is as thick as you should go. If they are any thicker the cook time is too long. If you use a mandolin or cut thinner slices you won’t need to cook it quite as long. A mandolin does about ⅛ inch thick slices and will cook for 55-65 minutes.
Cook Time: If you want to reduce the baking time, boil the ¼ inch thick sliced potatoes for 5 minutes. This will soften them before assembling the casserole. Bake for about 50-60 minutes rather than 90.

Close up shot of a scoop of hamburger potato casserole on a wooden spoon.

How to Store Casserole Leftovers

Refrigerator: Store hamburger potato casserole leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Make–Ahead: You can assemble this casserole, cover it tightly, and store it in the fridge or freezer to bake later. If you freeze the casserole before baking, the bake time will increase by at least 20 minutes.

Overhead shot of plated hamburger potato casserole.

More Potato Casserole Recipes

With this crazy economy, I am always looking for ways to stretch my dollar. I feel like potatoes are the key. They are hearty and filling, and they are pretty cheap. Here are some easier casserole ideas that use potatoes.

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and spray a 9x13x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare the potatoes by peeling and slicing them no bigger than ¼-inch thick disks.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion, and cook the meat, breaking it apart and stirring frequently until the beef is browned.
Add garlic, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook another minute, tossing to incorporate the seasonings. Remove the meat mixture from the heat and set aside.
In a bowl whisk together the mushroom soup, cheddar soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce.
Assemble the casserole by laying down ⅓ of the meat mixture. Layer ⅓ of the potatoes over the meat, then pour ⅓ of the soup mixture over the potatoes and meat. Top this layer with ⅓ of the cheese.
Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the cheese. Cover the casserole in foil and bake for 90-120 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Uncover the casserole and bake another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned on top.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Potato Thickness: Cutting your potatoes into ¼-inch thick rounds is as thick as you should go. If they are any thicker, the cooking time is too long. If you use a mandolin or cut the potatoes into thinner slices, you won’t need to cook it quite as long. A mandolin does about ⅛ inch thick slices and will cook for 55-65 minutes.

Reduce Cook Time: If you want to reduce the baking time, boil the ¼-inch thick sliced potatoes for 5 minutes to soften them before assembling the casserole. Bake for about 50-60 minutes rather than 90.

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 41gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 623mgPotassium: 1835mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 453IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 381mgIron: 6mg