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Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole

Cheesy hamburger potato casserole is a comforting ground beef potato bake with tender thin-sliced potatoes layered in a creamy mushroom-and-cheddar sauce. Baked covered until fork-tender, then finished uncovered so the top turns deeply golden and crisp.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
onion
  • 1 onion medium, diced
garlic cloves
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
russet potatoes
  • 5 russet potatoes peeled, thinly sliced
cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cheddar cheese soup
milk
  • 0.5 cup milk
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
onion powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
salt
  • 1 salt to taste
black pepper
  • 1 black pepper to taste
sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
fresh chives
  • 1 fresh chives for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and brown the beef
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set it aside so it’s ready for layering.
  2. Brown ground beef with onion over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the beef is no longer pink. Drain excess fat so the casserole isn’t greasy, then stir in garlic.
  3. Season the beef with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper and cook 1 minute more. The mixture should look fragrant and evenly coated.
  4. Whisk together cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese soup, and milk until smooth. Stop when you don’t see any streaks and the sauce looks glossy.
Layer and bake
  1. Layer half the potato slices in the baking dish in an even, overlapping layer. Aim for full coverage so the potatoes cook through.
  2. Top with half the beef in an even layer over the potatoes, spreading to the edges. You should see a clear beef layer through gaps.
  3. Spoon half the soup mixture over the beef and potatoes, covering most of the surface. Let it settle so it seeps into the layers.
  4. Repeat the layers with the remaining potato slices, then the remaining beef, then the remaining soup mixture. Finish with a creamy sauce layer on top.
  5. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. The potatoes should be mostly tender when you press a slice through the foil.
  6. Remove the foil, sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top, and bake uncovered at 375°F for 15 more minutes. Look for a deeply golden, bubbling top and potatoes that pierce easily.
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with fresh chives and let the casserole rest briefly before serving. The top should stay crisp while the center is creamy.

Notes

For clean slicing and a sturdier cheesy layer, let the casserole stand 10 minutes after baking before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat covered at 350°F until hot. Freezing is yes—cool completely, freeze portions up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until bubbly. For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat shredded cheddar and reduced-fat milk/soup if available (texture remains casserole-thick, though slightly less rich).