BEST Hamburger Potato Casserole

Hamburger Potato Casserole

I must admit, I have a soft spot for scalloped potatoes, but combining them with ground beef transforms this meat and potato casserole into something truly special. It goes from being a mere side dish to a mouth-watering main course.

The thyme’s delightful flavor shines through, and everything is enveloped in a smooth, creamy sauce that sets to perfection. You’ll find cheesy deliciousness in every single bite of this layered potato casserole (exactly how I prefer it).

While it may take some time to prepare before you can finally savor it, the process is quite straightforward, and the end result is absolutely worth the wait. My entire family cleaned their plates, which is quite a rare occurrence on some evenings!

BEST Hamburger Potato Casserole

PREP TIME: 10 minutes | COOK TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes | ADDITIONAL TIME: 15 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion (finely diced)
1/4 cup butter
2 medium cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
3 pounds russet potatoes (sliced into rounds about 1/4” thick – to stop them from browning keep them submerged in a bowl of water until you’re ready to assemble the casserole, about 8 – 9 medium size potatoes) *
1 1/2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)

INSTRUCTIONS

Ground Beef:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C).
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and onion, and cook until the beef is no longer pink (about 10 minutes). Once it’s finished cooking, remove the beef from the pan, discard any grease, and wipe out the skillet.

Sauce:

Return the skillet to the stove on medium heat, and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and saute for about 2 minutes (or until it’s aromatic).
Turn the heat down to medium-low and whisk in the flour (mix until the flour and butter have combined and reached an even texture). In a large bowl (or large liquid measuring cup), mix together the milk and chicken broth, then whisk the liquid into the butter and flour roux, about 1/3 cup at a time at a time. In between each addition of liquid, whisk until the sauce has reached a smooth consistency. Continue until all the liquid is incorporated into the sauce.
Once all the liquid has been added and the sauce is smooth, whisk in the parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to a light boil over medium-high heat for about 1 minute to thicken, then stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.

Casserole:

Lightly grease an 13 x 9 casserole dish and lay 1/3 of the potatoes evenly along the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, then spread 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the ground beef evenly over the potatoes.
Repeat this step two more times, creating 3 layers. Add the rest of the shredded cheese to the top layer. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil (make sure that the foil isn’t touching the casserole so that the cheese doesn’t stick to it), and bake for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove the foil from the dish, and bake for another 15 minutes. Finish it off by broiling it for 3 – 4 minutes (or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown in some areas).
Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

NOTES

*I like the potatoes unpeeled, but a lot of people prefer potato dishes like this with peeled potatoes. If you normally prefer dishes like scalloped potatoes or potatoes au gratin with peeled potatoes, then go ahead and peel your potatoes for this recipe before you slice them.

To make pouring the sauce into the casserole dish easier, I first transferred the sauce from the skillet into a large liquid measuring cup.