Cheesy Potato Beef Bake

Eight months pregnant. The Brayden bump is real. The recipe Sunday was cheesy potato beef bake — ground beef, sliced potatoes, cream of mushroom, cheddar, baked. The kind of casserole that fed me through the third trimester.

The recipe is below.

Cheesy Potato Beef Bake

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch thick)
• 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
2. Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef with diced onion until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
3. Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
4. Layer the bake. Arrange half the sliced potatoes in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the beef mixture evenly over the potatoes. Pour half the sauce over the beef. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar. Layer the remaining potatoes on top, then pour the rest of the sauce evenly over everything.
5. Bake covered. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, until potatoes begin to soften.
6. Add cheese and finish. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheddar over the top, and return to oven uncovered for 10–12 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and potatoes are fork-tender.
7. Rest and serve. Let the bake rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 410 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 620mg