🥔 Cheesy Ground Beef & Potato Casserole

🥔 Cheesy Ground Beef & Potato Casserole

Serves: 6–8
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 60–75 minutes

Ingredients

For the beef

• 500 g (1 lb) ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning

For the potatoes & sauce

• 1–1.2 kg potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups (480 ml) milk
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 250–300 g shredded cheddar cheese
• 100 g mozzarella, shredded
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Cook the beef:
   Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and thyme. Cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
2. Make the cheese sauce:
   Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 4–5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Add cheese:
   Remove from heat and stir in about 200 g cheddar until melted and smooth.
4. Layer:
   Grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Arrange a layer of potatoes, followed by some ground beef and cheese sauce. Repeat until everything is used, finishing with cheese sauce.
5. Bake:
   Cover tightly with foil and bake at 190°C / 375°F for 45–50 minutes.
6. Make it golden:
   Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and mozzarella, then bake another 15–25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is deeply golden and bubbling.
7. Rest:
   Let it stand for 10–15 minutes before serving. Finish with fresh parsley and a little black pepper.