Hamburger and Potato Casserole – A nostalgic and hearty Midwestern casserole featuring ground beef and green beans, surrounded by cheesy mashed potatoes and crunchy French fried onions.
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As you prepare for Halloween this weekend, make sure to send your little ghouls and goblins off with full bellies!
This hearty and flavorful Hamburger and Potato Casserole recipe will be one that your family will be asking for again and again!
I love casseroles because they feed a crowd! Even if you have many hungry mouths to feed, you don’t have to worry. There will be plenty of this delicious meal to go around! It also makes great leftovers and reheats well for additional dinners or lunches throughout the week.
HOW TO MAKE HAMBURGER & POTATO CASSEROLE
To make this classic Midwestern dish you’ll need:
- Ground beef
- Frozen green beans
- Canned tomato soup
- Water
- Salt & pepper
- Prepared mashed potatoes
- French fried onions
- Cheddar cheese
When you’re ready to start preparing the casserole, make sure to preheat your oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
Begin by browning the ground beef in a skillet on the stove until it’s no longer pink. It should take less than 10 minutes to prepare the ground beef. Once you’ve cooked it, drain the grease from the ground beef.
MIXING THE CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS
- Grab a large mixing bowl and add the beef, beans, tomato soup.
- Sprinkle on the salt, pepper.
- Pour in the water.
- Mix all of the ingredients together. I love using a silicone spatula for this step so that it’s easy to scrape down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
Transfer the mixture into a 1 ½ quart baking dish that you’ve greased beforehand. Use the back of your spatula to pat down the beef mixture into the casserole dish. This will allow you to easily scoop it out when you serve it.
TOPPING THE CASSEROLE
Once you’ve transferred the ground beef and green bean mixture to a baking dish, the topping comes next!
- Grab a separate bowl and stir the mashed potatoes and half of the French fried onions together.
- Spoon the mixture in a mounded ring around the outside of the baking dish, on top of the ground beef mixture. Place the dish in the oven, and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the potatoes.
- Top with the rest of the French fried onions and place the baking dish back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes to bake, allowing the cheese to melt and the French fried onions to get crispy.
Note: Make sure to watch the French fried onions closely so they do not burn! They tend to brown quickly so don’t walk away during this step.
Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving.
DO I NEED TO COVER THE CASSEROLE WHEN COOKING?
No, you won’t need to cover this casserole to cook it. Leave it uncovered when you put it in the oven. This will ensure everything is cooked evenly and heats all the way through quickly.
WHAT COULD I SUBSTITUTE THE GROUND BEEF WITH?
Yes! If you don’t like ground beef, you can replace it with ground turkey for a leaner option in this recipe.
You can also use ground pork or even a combination of any ground meat you have on hand. The directions remain the same no matter what meat you use.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
You can place a piece of tin foil over the top of the cooled casserole dish and store it in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
CAN I FREEZE HAMBURGER CASSEROLE?
Yes, you can freeze the Hamburger and Potato Casserole if you’d like to keep it a bit longer. You can place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the cooled casserole dish and then wrap the top securely in aluminum foil. The casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
You could also scoop the casserole into a freezer-safe bag as well and store that way. Allow to thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the oven or the microwave.
READY TO TRY MORE DELICIOUS CASSEROLES?
- Easy Turkey Casserole
- Cauliflower Casserole
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Tater Tot Casserole
- Hamburger Helper Casserole
Hamburger and Potato Casserole
A nostalgic and hearty Midwestern casserole featuring ground beef and green beans, surrounded by cheesy mashed potatoes and crunchy French fried onions.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 12 ounces frozen green beans, cooked and drained
- 1 can tomato soup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups prepared mashed potatoes
- 2.8 oz French fried onions, divided
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
- Brown ground beef in a medium skillet over medium heat until no pink remains. This will take about 8 minutes. Drain off excess grease.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, beans, tomato soup, water, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer mixture into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, stir mashed potatoes and half of the French fried onions together.
- Spoon potato mixture in a mounded ring around the outside of the baking dish on top of the beef/bean mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese and remaining French fried onions on top of potatoes.
- Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, watching the onions carefully so they do not burn.