If you’re looking for a family favorite hamburger casserole that even kids will love, this delicious combination of beef, onion, cheese, and potatoes is easy to make and extremely tasty. It should take no more than 15 minutes to put together!
It’s also very adaptable, as you can simply toss in peas, carrots, or even corn to make a rich and tasty dish. The sky is the limit, and your imagination can run wild, as long as you add things that you love that blend together well.
In fact, we think that this is a family friendly recipe that everyone is going to love. When you bake a batch, it typically stays good for a few days and can freeze for months (more on that later). That makes it a meaty, tasty, and satisfying meal combination.
A bowlful of this meal will definitely fill you up and create a robust, hearty, meaty taste that everyone enjoys. After all, there’s just something that works about a layered cheesy meal with all your favorite ingredients.
Looking for a similar dish that your family will enjoy? Our Easy Peasy Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole combines many of the same flavors into an almost hard-to-top whole that will get your mouth watering.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Very easy to make (honestly, even your kid can handle many of these steps)
- Easy ingredients (many of what’s here is probably already in your fridge)
- Adaptable nature (add or subtract ingredients to personalize this dish)
- Serves many people (perfect for big family get-togethers and parties)
- Kid-friendly recipe (works well as a bridge dish to more complex meals)
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Potatoes: You need potatoes to produce the scallops for this new family favorite! While sweet potatoes and even rutabagas work as healthier alternatives, they’re not as likely to appeal to kids.
Ground Beef: This recipe’s ground beef makes it more palatable for kids who might struggle with complex ingredients. Want to go meat-free? Lentils and tempeh will do the trick!
Cheese Soup: Adding some cheese soup helps to create a rich and creamy texture that everyone will enjoy. Healthy alternatives include creamy broccoli soups, as they provide a similar texture.
Shredded Cheddar: A little shredded cheddar will make everything better! You can experiment with other cheese types (Gouda is great) or even non-dairy options, such as plant-based cheeses.
Milk: You’ll need both whole milk and evaporated milk for this dish, though the types you use can vary. Some people will prefer dairy milk always, though you can get away with oat milk too.
Tips for Success
Always preheat your oven to 350 degrees to ensure everything bakes evenly
Grease your baking dish before layering your ingredients to avoid burning
Consider mixing together multiple cheeses to produce a fantastic result
Layer everything smoothly (use a spoon to move the ingredients around safely)
Taste test as you prep the ingredients and make adjustments, as needed
Storage & Reheating
Put your casserole in an airtight container in the fridge and store it for up to 3-4 days. After that, the ingredients are likely to start to spoil, so make sure that you do the sniff test: if it doesn’t smell safe, throw it away. You can also freeze it for up to two months.
What if you’re ready to reheat it? I suggest the pan-warming method: layer your casserole in a pan on the stove and warm with even heat. The microwave works, but it often dries out the ingredients in an unfortunate way. Thaw by leaving it in the fridge overnight.
Serving Suggestions
- Cook up some steamed broccoli to pair with this delicious casserole
- Green beans (steamed) also go well as a side dish for this meal
- Try a side salad if you want something a little richer
- Buttered bread helps enhance this meal’s flavor (and gives you a “sopping” tool)
- Biscuits also offer a unique way to soak up this meal’s many flavors
Notes
Do you have kids like mine who never want to eat anything? Getting them to try anything beyond chicken nuggets is often a huge struggle! Well, this casserole is one thing that they both agree is well worth their time. It’s amazing to me.
They don’t even mind the onions or the potatoes. Both just eat it up like it’s the best thing since sliced pizza. While I can’t speak for your children, I do think there’s a good chance that they’ll like it. It’s definitely worth a shot, my friend.
A Ground Beef Scalloped Potatoes Recipe From Cheeky Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. Lean ground beef
- 1 Medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 Cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp. Salt divided
- ½ tsp. Freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp. Paprika
- 4 Large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and sliced into thin ⅛-inch rounds
- 1 can 10.5 oz. Condensed cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery)
- ½ cup Sour cream
- ¼ cup Whole milk
- 2 ½ cups Sharp cheddar cheese shredded and divided
- 2 tbsp. Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground beef and diced yellow onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking the meat up with a firm wooden spoon, until the beef is fully browned and the onions are soft.
- Add the minced garlic, ½ teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, and the paprika to the skillet. Cook for 1 more minute until fragrant, then drain away any heavy pooling grease and remove the pan from the heat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the condensed cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, whole milk, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and exactly 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. Whisk firmly until the elements form a thick, uniform sauce baseline.
- Arrange half of your thin potato slices in an overlapping layer across the entire bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spread half of the cooked ground beef mixture evenly over the potato layer, then spoon half of the creamy cheese sauce baseline over the meat, smoothing it out with a spatula.
- Repeat the layers one more time: arrange the remaining potato slices, top with the rest of the ground beef, and spread the remaining cheese sauce uniformly over the surface.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This step is critical because it traps the interior steam needed to soften the potato matrix.
- Bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and poke the center with a fork to ensure the potatoes are completely fork-tender.
- Scatter the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly across the top of the casserole. Return the dish to the oven uncovered for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese matrix is entirely melted, bubbly, and lightly golden around the edges.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand flat on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. This resting window allows the rich sauce to tighten slightly so it scoops beautifully. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
