Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep and bake base
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish to prevent sticking. You should be ready to assemble right after it reaches temperature.
- Brown the ground beef with the diced onion over medium-high heat, then drain off excess fat. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is softened.
- Stir in the minced garlic and the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Keep cooking about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese soup, and milk until smooth. Stop when no streaks remain in the sauce.
- Layer half the thinly sliced potato slices in the baking dish. Arrange them in an even layer so they cook through.
- Top with half the seasoned beef mixture, then spoon over half the soup mixture. Spread gently to cover the beef.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, beef, and soup mixture. Make sure the final layer is potatoes covered with soup mixture.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 375°F. The potatoes should start to become tender and the casserole will look hot and bubbling around the edges.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle the shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top, and bake for 15 more minutes at 375°F. Bake until the cheese is golden and the potatoes are tender.
- Garnish with fresh chives and serve. Add chives right before serving for the best color.
Notes
Pro tip: use very thin potato slices (about the thickness of a coin) so they become tender by the end of baking without needing extra bake time. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze baked casserole portions up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, swap 2% milk for whole milk and use reduced-fat shredded cheddar if you want a slightly lower-fat bake.