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This was the supper my mother made when the grocery money was thin at the end of the month, and it was the one all of us asked for. One package of ground beef, a sack of potatoes, an onion, a block of cheddar and the milk already in the refrigerator, and she fed a family of six. On cold nights my father would walk in the back door, smell it in the oven and smile. He always took the corner piece, for the crusty edge, and nobody argued with him about it. She set it on the table with a dish of pickled beets and a plate of bread and butter, and that was supper.
The secret is the sauce. The potatoes are sliced very thin, nearly see-through, and layered raw with the browned beef, and then a plain homemade cheese sauce of butter, flour, milk and sharp cheddar is poured over everything so it runs down between every layer. That sauce is what cooks the potatoes. The dish goes into the oven covered first, so the potatoes steam tender in the sauce without drying out and the beef stays soft. Then the cover comes off, more cheddar goes on top, and it bakes until the cheese is golden and the edges bubble brown. Without enough sauce you get dry potatoes and tough beef; with it, every square is creamy all the way through.
Why this hamburger potato casserole works
- Thin potatoes. Slices about 1/8 inch thick cook through evenly in the sauce. Thick slices stay hard in the middle.
- A real cheese sauce. A homemade butter, flour and milk sauce with sharp cheddar coats every layer and keeps the potatoes from drying out.
- Covered, then uncovered. Foil traps the steam so the potatoes soften; taking it off at the end browns the cheese.
- Beef browned first. Browning the ground beef with the onion builds flavor and lets you pour off the extra fat before layering.
- A rest before cutting. Ten minutes on the counter lets the sauce settle so the squares hold together.
Ingredients
Serves 6, in a 9x13 inch baking dish. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the layers
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (680g)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium, 1.1kg), peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
For the cheese sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, warm (600ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (200g)
For the top
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (100g)
- 2 green onions, sliced, optional
Shred the cheddar from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to stop it clumping, and that coating can make the sauce grainy. A mandoline makes quick work of the potatoes, but a sharp knife works fine.
How to make hamburger potato casserole
Brown the beef
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees (190°C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and onion, breaking up the meat, until browned and the onion is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper and the garlic powder. Pour off the extra fat.
Make the cheese sauce
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Slowly whisk in the warm milk and keep whisking until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and paprika.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the 2 cups of cheddar a handful at a time until smooth.
Layer and bake
- Spread a thin layer of cheese sauce in the bottom of the dish. Lay down a third of the potato slices, overlapping, and sprinkle with a pinch of the remaining salt. Scatter half of the beef over them and spoon on about a third of the sauce.
- Repeat with another third of the potatoes, a pinch of salt, the rest of the beef and another third of the sauce. Finish with the last of the potatoes and pour the remaining sauce over the top, nudging it down between the slices.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes, until a knife slides easily through the potatoes in the center.
- Uncover, scatter the remaining cheddar over the top and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until the cheese is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes, scatter with green onions if using, and cut into squares.
Tips that make the difference
- Keep the potato slices in a bowl of cold water while you work so they do not turn grey, then drain and pat them dry before layering.
- Warm the milk before adding it to the butter and flour. It thickens faster and smoother, with no lumps.
- If the potatoes are still firm when you take the foil off, cover the dish again for another 10 minutes before adding the cheese.
- Put a baking sheet on the rack under the dish to catch any sauce that bubbles over.
Variations
- Vegetable. Add a layer of frozen corn or green beans between the beef and potatoes for a one-dish supper.
- Ground turkey. Use ground turkey in place of the beef and add a pinch of dried thyme.
- Smoky. Use smoked paprika in the sauce and a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack on top.
- Sweet potato. Swap half the potatoes for thinly sliced sweet potatoes.
Storage and make-ahead
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat single squares in the microwave or the whole dish covered with foil in a 350 degree oven until hot.
To make ahead, assemble the casserole, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Add about 15 minutes to the covered baking time because it starts cold.
The baked casserole freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my potatoes still hard?
The slices were too thick or the dish was not covered tightly. Slice the potatoes 1/8 inch thick and seal the foil so the steam stays in while they bake.
Do I need to cook the potatoes first?
No. Thin raw slices cook through in the cheese sauce under the foil. Par-boiling is not needed.
Can I use canned soup instead of the cheese sauce?
You can, but the homemade sauce takes only a few minutes, tastes better and keeps the casserole creamy without the salty, gluey texture.
What do I serve with it?
Something sharp and fresh to cut the richness: a green salad, pickled beets, coleslaw or plain green beans, plus bread and butter.
Slice the potatoes thin, be generous with the sauce, keep the foil on until they are tender, and save the corner piece for whoever in your house loves the crust.
Hamburger Potato Casserole with Cheese Sauce
An old-fashioned hamburger potato casserole: thin sliced potatoes layered with browned ground beef and onion under a creamy homemade cheddar cheese sauce, baked covered then uncovered at 375 degrees in a 9x13 dish. US cups with grams.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium, 1.1kg), peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, warm
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 2 green onions, sliced, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees (190°C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and onion, breaking up the meat, until browned and the onion is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper and the garlic powder. Pour off the extra fat.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Slowly whisk in the warm milk and keep whisking until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and paprika.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the 2 cups of cheddar a handful at a time until smooth.
- Spread a thin layer of cheese sauce in the bottom of the dish. Lay down a third of the potato slices, overlapping, and sprinkle with a pinch of the remaining salt. Scatter half of the beef over them and spoon on about a third of the sauce.
- Repeat with another third of the potatoes, a pinch of salt, the rest of the beef and another third of the sauce. Finish with the last of the potatoes and pour the remaining sauce over the top, nudging it down between the slices.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes, until a knife slides easily through the potatoes in the center.
- Uncover, scatter the remaining cheddar over the top and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until the cheese is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes, scatter with green onions if using, and cut into squares.
