Ground Beef and Potato Casserole
This easy meat and potato casserole is the ultimate comfort food! Ground beef, potatoes and vegetables are baked to perfection and topped with melty cheese for a complete meal.
My husband is definitely a classic meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, hence my Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaf and Potatoes, and my Creamy Beef and Potato Soup, so I knew this casserole would be right up his alley. It has all those hearty meat-and-potato flavors he loves, but I get to sneak in extra vegetables, too. It's a win-win!
Why You'll Love Ground Beef Potato Casserole
With protein, potatoes, and plenty of vegetables all baked together, this ground beef and potato casserole is truly a complete meal. It's easy enough for a busy weeknight and cozy enough for a lazy weekend or Sunday dinner. You'll love the comforting flavors and you can feel good about feeding your family a wholesome dinner.
I also love that the vegetables get a quick sauté with the ground beef before everything goes into the baking dish. This gives them a head start on cooking and means you don't have to wait forever for the casserole to bake in the oven.
Watch Me Make It
Ingredients You Need
While the ingredients list is long, it's still very easy to assemble and put together. All the items needed are basic pantry and fridge staples.
- Ground beef- I like to use a lean ground beef so the casserole doesn't carry extra grease and fat.
- Vegetables include- potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, and canned green beans-although you could use fresh green beans if you prefer.
- Canned tomatoes give the casserole a subtle tomato flavor and also provide some moisture so it doesn't dry out.
- Beef stock will also help cook the firmer vegetables like carrots and potatoes.
- Seasonings include- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme and rosemary.
- Sour cream is optional but I feel it really adds a beautiful layer of creaminess without it feeling heavy.
- Cheese brings it all together for the perfect comforting bite.
How To Make Ground Beef Potato Casserole
- Cook ground beef- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat and cook ground beef until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables- Next add olive oil to the skillet along with onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Sauté for just a few minutes. Long enough to slightly soften them.
- Combine ingredients- Add the ground beef back to the skillet with the vegetables along with tomatoes, green beans, beef stock, and seasonings. Combine and bring to a light simmer.
- Assemble in baking dish- Once the mixture is simmering transfer to a prepared baking dish.
- Bake- Cover casserole dish tightly with foil and place in preheated oven that has been set to 375℉. Bake for 35-minutes.
- Finish with sour cream and cheese- Remove the foil after the first baking time and stir in sour cream then top with cheese. Bake uncovered another 10-minutes to melt the cheese.
Serving Beef and Potato Casserole
As I mentioned this is a complete meal, you really don't need anything extra. With that said, I do love to add additional sour cream or a scoop of cottage cheese on the side. If you want more options for your family, try one of these sides to serve along with it.
- Crispy Parmesan Cheese Toast
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe
- Crunchy Lemon Parmesan Salad
- English Muffin Garlic Bread
Ang's Tips
- Cut the heartier vegetables small- Items like potatoes and carrots, which can take longer to cook are best cut in smaller sizes for a faster cooking time.
- Don't skip the sauté- This step is important to precook the vegetables a bit before baking in the oven, otherwise, you'll be baking the casserole far longer than you want to.
- Temper the sour cream- To keep the sour cream from curdling, first stir a little of the hot liquid from the casserole into the sour cream to gently warm it up. Then stir the sour cream into the casserole.
Vegetables You Can Add Or Substitute
This casserole is easy to customize with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Corn, peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, frozen mixed vegetables, sweet potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, and cabbage would all work well. For heartier vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and broccoli, give them a quick sauté with the beef first to help them soften and cook evenly.
Is There Supposed To Be Liquid After The Casserole Bakes?
Yes, there will be some liquid in the bottom of the pan but it shouldn't be a lot. You can always safely drain some off just before serving. I find the extra liquid keeps the casserole moist and enjoyable while eating.
Can I Freeze This Casserole?
You can, however, once thawed it will have a lot more moisture than what you started with. Freeze in a freezer safe pan up to 3 months. Thaw completely and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
More Hearty Recipes To Try
- Easy Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
- Sour Cream Lasagna
- Healthy Shepherd's Pie With Ground Turkey
- Italian Meatball Casserole
- One-Pan Ground Beef and Potatoes (small family recipe)
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Ground Beef Potato Casserole
Equipment
- large skillet
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced about 1 small onion
- 3 cups yellow potatoes, peeled and cut in bite size pieces about 3 medium potatoes
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and diced small about 2 large carrots
- ½ cup celery, diced about 1 medium celery rib
- 15 ounce can green beans, drained
- 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with the liquid
- 1 cup beef broth, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon each: black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme and rosemary
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups Colby Jack cheese shredded
- parsley to garnish optional
Instructions
Heat oven to 375℉ and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Crumble and cook ground beef until no longer pink, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add olive oil to the skillet along with onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Sauté vegetables about 5-minutes until just starting to soften. They will finish cooking in the oven.
- Add the beef back to the skillet with the veggies along with tomatoes, beef broth, green beans, and seasonings. Stir to combine and bring to a light simmer.
- Once the mixture is simmering, gently pour in your prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35-minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
- When the casserole has finished its initial baking time, carefully remove it from the oven and pull off the foil.
- Add sour cream to a small bowl. Use a spoon to remove a little of the hot liquid and slowly stir it in the sour cream. This will help prevent curdling once you add the sour cream to the casserole. This is called tempering.
- Stir the tempered sour cream into the casserole and top with cheese. Bake an additional 10-minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
- Garnish with parsley if desired and allow to rest 5-minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: Some of the links on my website are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra charge to you.
