Ground Beef and Potato Casserole (Milk and Chicken Broth)
If you love scalloped potatoes or potatoes au gratin so much that you could eat it as a main dish, this easy and delicious hamburger potato casserole is a great all-in-one dinner idea and it takes beef and potatoes to a whole new level.
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
¼ cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 cups whole milk
½ cup chicken broth
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. fine sea salt
½ tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
3 lbs russet potatoes, sliced into rounds about ¼” thick (~ 8-9 medium size potatoes)
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded, divided
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease a 9x13" baking dish with butter.
For the Ground Beef:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and onion and cook until the beef is no longer pink (~ 10 minutes). Once it’s finished cooking, remove the beef from the pan, discard any grease and wipe out the skillet.
Make the Sauce:
Return the skillet to the stove on medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and sauté 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 ⅓ 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.
Assemble the Casserole:
Lay ⅓ of the potatoes evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, then spread ⅓ of the sauce and ⅓ 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.
Cook's 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.