One-Pan Ground Beef and Potatoes
This one-skillet ground beef and potatoes recipe is simple, budget friendly, and a delicious meal perfect for two. Golden fried potatoes with savory ground beef, seasonings, cheese, and spinach make this a complete dinner in under-30 minutes.
Easy One-Pan Ground Beef Recipe
There's something so comforting about a hot skillet full of ground beef, tender potatoes, and savory seasonings. I'm sharing yet another easy skillet meal for two that requires very little prep and under-30 minutes to prepare. Ground Beef and Potatoes is the perfect meal for your meat and potato lover. It's hearty and filled with delicious savory flavor. We love that the ingredients are simple pantry staples and few fresh items from the fridge. Here's all the details!
Simple Ingredients
- Ground beef- Use lean ground beef so the dish isn't overly greasy.
- Potatoes- We use russets because that's what we had on hand.
- Butter or olive oil to help brown the potatoes.
- Onions and garlic
- Pantry seasonings- Seasoned salt, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
- Half and half offers richness and creaminess.
- Chicken broth
- Cheese- Use a good melty cheese like Jack, Colby Jack, or cheddar.
- Parsley for a fresh touch at the end.
Try These Variations
- Add more veggies: Mix in frozen corn, peas, or fresh zucchini for extra nutrition.
- Change up the seasonings with a Mexican twist: Use chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.
- Make it Breakfast: Add a fried egg on top or serve with scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast for dinner.
Easy Step By Step
- Brown potatoes in a skillet with butter. Transfer to a plate.
- Crumble and cook ground beef with onions and garlic in the same skillet.
- Combine beef with potatoes, seasonings, half and half and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.
- Finish with spinach and wilt, then top with cheese and melt. Garnish with parsley.
Serving Suggestions
Balance out this savory dish with a fresh salad. Pair with my Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad, Marinated Vegetable Salad, Avocado Corn and Tomato Salad, or this simple Crunchy Lemon Parmesan Salad.
One-Pan Ground Beef and Potatoes
Equipment
- 10-inch skillet
Ingredients
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced in small cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper optional
- ½ cup half and half
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- ½ cup Jack cheese, shredded
- fresh parsley for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat skillet to medium high heat and melt butter. Add potatoes to the hot skillet. Season with a little salt and pepper. Brown potatoes stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet crumble and cook ground beef along with onions. Remove any excess grease then stir in garlic, seasoned salt, dried thyme, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook 30-seconds or so.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the potatoes back to the skillet along with half and half and chicken broth. Bring to a light simmer and cook until potatoes are fork tender, stirring often. The liquid will evaporate and the mixture should be light and creamy.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in spinach. Continue to stir until spinach is wilted then top with Jack cheese. Turn the heat off and allow the cheese to melt. You can place a lid on to make it faster. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Looking for more small batch recipes? You'll love these too! One-Skillet Salmon with Orzo, Ground Turkey Power Bowls, Mississippi Pot Roast (small family), Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and Grilled BLT Flatbread.
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So good! I should have cooked the potatoes a little longer, I couldn’t find allspice so I just omitted it also I added 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder! Highly recommend
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this Debbie and worked with what you had on hand! Thanks for sharing your review!