Cheesy Ground Beef and Hashbrown Casserole
on Oct 01, 2021, Updated Feb 27, 2024
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Crispy but tender shredded potatoes top a casserole of juicy ground beef bound together with a creamy cheesy sauce.
Ground Beef Casserole
Gary’s fondest childhood memories began with a pound of ground beef. There was usually tomato sauce and pasta in the mix, and some sort of cheese, but it’s hard to overstate the importance of ground beef as a staple meat in the Freilich family dinners. And to that end, it’s hard to overstate the importance of ground beef as a dinnertime staple in the kitchens of Americans from coast to coast.
Easy Cheesy Ground Beef and Hashbrown Casserole
A while back for a website I was editing, I tweaked a very popular cheese, beef and potato casserole recipe. It included ground beef, a couple of canned items including canned mushroom soup, frozen hashbrowns and a few other sundry ingredients. I never want to judge, and believe you me my freezer is full of frozen vegetables, and my pantry is filled with cans. But I wanted to step back and tackle the idea of this somewhat classic recipe with fresh eyes.
Hello, comfort food. Hello, casserole. Leftovers of this Cheesy Ground Beef and Hash Brown Casserole will be fought over the next day.
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And this is what I came up with, and while I resist the notion of boy food (or boy anything), sometimes it’s hard to fight a buttload of empirical evidence. The boyfolk in my family have long felt as though the One Skillet Cheesy Beefy Macaroni recipe in The Mom 100 is one of the reigning cool weather comfort foods in the house, and this was greeted with similar enthusiasm.
Hamburger Hashbrown Casserole
So, what do we have here: Crispy but tender shredded potatoes top a casserole of juicy ground beef bound together with a creamy cheesy sauce. A final sprinkle of cheddar cheese melts over all at the end, like a dusting of snow. It’s the casserole version of a terrific cheeseburger. Hello, comfort food. Hello, Cheesy Ground Beef and Hash Brown Casserole. Leftovers will be fought over the next day.
Make Ahead Hamburger Hash Brown Casserole
You can make the filling ahead of time, up to a day, then just dump it into the casserole, and finish with the cheesy hash browns potato topping (don’t grate the potatoes until shortly before using or they will discolor, which really isn’t that big a deal).
What the Kids Can Do
The kids can absolute lend a hand in making this dish. Let them measure the various ingredients. You can also suggest your kids pick an herb or spice other than oregano to change things up (think about thyme, marjoram, basil, or chili powder), maybe add other vegetables that you like, like chopped red peppers (which add nice color, too), spread the potatoes over the casserole, sprinkle on the cheese at the end.
What to Serve with Cheesy Ground Beef and Hashbrown Casserole:
Make a great big green salad to go with this, so you can feel like you’ve achieved dinnertime balance.
And because the combination of beef and cheese and a starch is just a tough one to beat.
- Crunchy Mixed Green Salad
- Mixed Lettuce Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
- Romaine Salad with Queso Fresco
Other Cheesy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes:
- Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
- One-Skillet Cheesy Beef and Macaroni
- Simple Baked Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
- Instant Pot Ziti “Lasagna” with Bolognese Sauce
- Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
And to have: 10 Things To Make With Leftover Ground Beef!
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 8-ounce package, divided
- 2 large Idaho all-purpose potatoes (about 3/4 pound), peeled and grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a shallow 2-quart baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is completely browned. Drain in a colander. Carefully wipe out the skillet, and return it to medium heat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes, until tender. Add the scallions and the browned ground beef and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the oregano and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer then stir in the sour cream, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is blended.
- Turn the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place the shredded potatoes in a clean dishtowel and twist and squeeze over the sink to remove as much water as possible from the potatoes. Shake the potatoes into a medium sized bowl. Toss the shredded potatoes with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Evenly distribute the potatoes over the ground beef mixture. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the potatoes are tender and browned on top. Sprinkle the remaining cup of shredded cheese on top of the potatoes and return the casserole to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve hot.
This one is a keeper. Picky husband loved it.
He even suggested adding sausage for a breakfast casserole. Thanks a bunch!
Do you think I could use frozen hashbrowns instead?
definitely!
Just curious about the amount of frozen hash browns to use.
I used 13 Oz. Half of a Walmart bag that’s 1 lb 10 oz. I did coat them in one tablespoon of the olive oil like it stated. Came out perfectly done and browned.
Thanks for the Nutrition count. Hubby was just diagnosed with diabetes and I’m checking carbs pretty close these days. I’ve not made this so really can’t comment on the recipe.
I made this last night and it was well received. Even my picky eater liked it. I shared a dish with the guy next door and he came back in 30 minutes later saying it was delicious! I followed the recipe pretty closely. I did leave out the raw carrots and substituted 2 cups of frozen peas and carrots later in the cooking stage. I subbed basil for oregano and I used a half package of frozen shredded potatoes. My only concern was when pouring the meat mixture into the casserole dish it was awfully soupy. But the time in the oven took care of that and it came out perfect. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You know you have a winning recipe when even the kids are requesting it again. It was true comfort food and a great ‘twist’ on shepherd’s pie. I liked another commenter’s remark on using chicken or other varieties of vegetables – so many ways to keep this in the rotation without it getting boring! Thanks!
Can this be made ahead and stored in refrigerator overnight? Or does it make it watery? Anyone tried it?
if you do that, best to add the hashbrown topping just before baking. But it should be ok either way!
Really great recipe!!! I used frozen hash browns, just cooked them a little longer and it was AMAZING!!! Definitely saving this recipe!
Just made this for the first time. And it was wonderful I added real expertise and used frozen hash brown potatoes that I defrosted and drained but fantastic
Ground beef with hash browns and cheese, what’s not to like? This is another regular in the weeknight dinner rotation
Comfort food at its best! Easy and goes great with any type of salad. Great for lunch the next day.