Hamburger Potato Casserole Without Canned Soup - Butter & Baggage (2024)

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Published: Jan 21, 2023 · Modified: Aug 11, 2024 by Barbara Curry

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This hamburger and potato casserole is filled with everything you need for a delicious hearty meal. Creamy potatoes with seasoned ground beef covered in a sour cream sauce mixed with cheese makes this the ultimate comfort meal the whole family will love. No can of soup needed!

This Hamburger and Potato Casserole is next level!

If you like ground beef and cheesy potatoes, you’re going to love this dish. Flavored with mushrooms and cooked onions, this recipe is next level!

A creamy sauce made with Worcestershire sauce and sour cream coats the potatoes and beef for a casserole that you’ll be making over and over again. It only takes about 20 minutes to prep and the oven does all the rest of the work.

Here what Julie had to say about it:

Thank you! This dish was a hit! I made individual containers to share with my mom, aunt and uncle, and for my husband and myself. I followed the recipe exactly as written! I really prefer making the sauce as opposed to using canned soups. This recipe is a keeper! – Julie

What’s for dinner? Have you run out of ideas? My meatloaf recipe is amazing if you like ground beef recipes, but we can only eat meatloaf so many times. Add this scrumptious hamburger potato casserole recipe to your weeknight rotation for those nights when you want a hearty meal but don’t don’t want to spend all night in the kitchen.

Normally ground beef and potato casseroles are made with a can of cream of mushroom soup, and while that is easier, making your own sauce just takes a few minutes and the flavor is so much better than what you can get in a can. A homemade soup mixture surrounds layers of cubed, not sliced potatoes which is added to a ground beef mixture flavored with sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Why you’ll love this Delicious Hamburger Potato Casserole Recipe

• Calls for simple ingredients and no soup needed
• The sour cream adds a tangy flavor and a creamy texture you’ll love
• It’s perfect comfort food for any time of year
• An easy meal you can serve with almost any side dish
• Make ahead, refrigerate, and serve when you’re ready
• It makes for easy and fresh tasting leftovers

One of the best things about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time and bake when needed. Prepping a casserole in advance is such a great way to get dinner on the table during busy weeknights. You can even reheat the next day for a quick and delicious lunch.

A Few Recipe tips

• Drain the meat – Drain your ground beef or soak up excess grease with a paper towel.
• Make now, bake later – Make this casserole ahead of time, refrigerate, and bake when ready. This is not only convenient, but it allows the flavors to absorb for a longer period of time.
• Use a shallow dish – A shallow dish will cook quickly and also allow more surface area for a crispy cheesy topping.
• High quality cheese is a good choice – Using a good quality cheese will melt better and taste better overall. I recommend grating your cheese at home instead of buying shredded cheese.
• Top it off – Feel free to add bacon, green onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc. to this casserole. Make it your own!
• Cook the Potatoes – Make sure to cut the potatoes into small cubes or it will take much longer to cook.

What you’ll need for this Ground Beef and Potatoes Casserole

• Ground beef – 90% lean ground beef works best for this recipe because of the small amount of grease. If you’re using a fattier cut, make sure you drain the grease. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken or mix it up and do ½ beef and ½ sausage.
• Vegetables – Mushrooms and onions add so much flavor but feel free to add additional veggies as well.
• Spices – Thyme, salt, and pepper are musts.
• Potatoes – Russet potatoes are best for this casserole.
• Sour cream – Full fat sour cream is the best kind! This will add tons of tangy flavors as well as an oh so creamy texture
• Cheese – Freshly grated Colby jack cheese will melt into a golden brown crispy topping on this dish. Add cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese if desired.
• Liquid – Since this recipe does not call for soup, you’ll need equal parts whole milk and chicken broth
• Pantry items – butter and flour

What type of potato should you use

Russet potatoes are the one to choose for casseroles. They are a high starch potato which means it will keep its shape when cooked. Some call them Idaho potatoes, but only potatoes grown in Idaho can use that name. They are often used in casseroles because they will keep their shape.

Yukon Gold potatoes are a medium starch potato and will get soft and creamy when baked whether in creamy mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes. They can be used interchangeably with russets, but the texture of your casserole will be different.

How to make a Ground Beef Casserole

Step 1: Cook the ground beef

Brown the hamburger with mushrooms and onions and remove from the skillet.

Step 2: Add liquid

Whisk butter and flour together then add your liquids to make a roux. Remove from the heat and add the sour cream.

Step 3: Mix in potatoes

Mix potatoes and ground beef in a large bowl and drench with the liquid mixture.

Add some cheese to the mixture.

Step 4: Bake

Pour into a casserole dish and bake covered until the potatoes have cooked.

Step 5: Get cheesy

Add as much cheese as your heart desires then baked uncovered until the cheese is golden brown.

Pro tip: Don’t overcook the beef on the skillet, it will bake again in the oven. Make sure the beef is just cooked through so it’s not dry in the casserole.

How to Store This Casserole

To store a ground beef casserole, first let it cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To reheat, let it come to room temperature and then reheat in the oven at 350º for 10 minutes or you can reheat in the microwave.

You can also freeze this casserole after it has cooled to room temperature. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Casserole recipes you’ll love to try

It’s always nice to have a list of easy casserole recipes ready to go for busy nights. Here are a few easy dinner recipes…

• Extra cheesy and flavorful spaghetti casserole is a recipe even picky eaters will like
• When you’re in the mood for Tex-Mex, try a one pot taco casserole
• A classic southern chicken pot pie covered with biscuits is a family favorite
• You can never go wrong with a tater tot casserole

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me onInstagramusing the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.