This easy skillet meal is classic comfort food. It's cheesy, creamy, and made with budget-friendly ingredients you know your family will love.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- This creamy and comforting dinner is done with just 1 pan so clean-up is easy.
- Since this takes just 30 minutes it's perfect for busy weeknights. I especially love this hearty recipe during colder months.
- Use convenience foods to make this recipe even quicker.
There's just something about a ground beef skillet dinner that makes us smile! Maybe it's the easy cleanup.
This is one of those family friendly recipes that is simple to make, with uncomplicated flavors. It's not going to win prizes at the county fair but it will be a favorite family meal for years to come.
You might also like the easy smoked sausage Alfredo recipe!
🧾 Ingredients
Six simple ingredients plus the usual suspects: salt, pepper, and a little oil!
- Lean ground beef - since this is cooked all in one large skillet I don't want to have to deal with a lot of grease. I use 90/10 but you can use whatever blend you like. If you use something with a lot of fat be sure to cook the meat first and pour off the fat before adding the potatoes and onions
- Potatoes - peeled or not. If I use Yukon Gold sometimes I just wash them really well and leave the peel on. If you want to save a lot of time buy the chopped hash browns from the dairy section of your store.
📖 Variations
This is an easy meal to stretch when there is more month than paycheck.
- Add chopped chiles, poblano peppers, or jalapenos for a little kick.
- I've used leftover sloppy joes instead of ground beef and it's delicious!
- Substitute different cheeses for the Cheddar.
- Use cauliflower for the potatoes to save on calories and carbs.
- Add a pinch of garlic powder.
- Leftover pot roast works well in this recipe as a substitute for the ground beef in this recipe.
- You can use non-dairy milk products like coconut, oat, or cashew milk. Just make sure it's not the sweetened kind.
- Add some diced carrots or green beans in with the potatoes and ground beef.
- Use canned or frozen potatoes to cut down on cooking time even more.
- No potatoes? Use cauliflower or rice.
- Cut back on the meat and use more potatoes or rice to fill it out.
- Add cooked pinto, kidney, or black beans.
- Use Pepper Jack or any easily melted cheese in place of the Cheddar.
- Use any creamy soup in place of the cream of mushroom.
- I like to use diced potatoes but shredded or sliced work fine, too.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in an iron skillet (or any heavy skillet).
- Add the potatoes and onions.
- Saute until the potatoes begin to get golden but aren't mushy.
- Add the meat and brown ground beef until it is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Drain off any excess grease that has collected in the pan..
- Mix the milk and soup.
- Add half the cheese.
- Spoon into the skillet, mixing in the ground beef and potatoes. Top with remaining cheese.
- Cover, turn heat off and let the skillet stand, covered, for 5 minutes so the cheese melts.
- Serve.
🥫 How to store leftovers
This easy dinner recipe is just as good warmed up as it was the first time it was served!
Refrigerate
If you have leftovers cover them with plastic wrap or spoon into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Freeze
It doesn't freeze well because of the potatoes - they sometimes get rubbery.
💭 Things to know
This is such a simple dinner but here are some tips to make it even easier.
Expert Tip: Try to get the potatoes all the same size - they'll cook quicker and more evenly.
- I use a large oven-safe skillet for this recipe. If you don't have one you can follow the steps through #5. Add to a casserole dish and bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
- It doesn't matter what type of potatoes you use. I like to use thin skinned Yukon gold or red potatoes so I don't have to peel them.
- Make it super fast by using pre-cooked hashbrown potatoes. They're usually available near the eggs in the dairy section.
- Use a bag of frozen onion and pepper mix to cut down on prep time.
- This does not freeze well.
- Serve with a salad for a quick meal. If you happen to have some dinner rolls in the freezer all the better.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Yes! Just make sure everything is thoroughly cooked before serving.
The leaner the meat the drier it will be after cooking. 85/25 is usually a good compromise.
Sure! You can use all chicken or turkey if you want - or you can mix it with the ground beef to help cut down on fat.
📚 Related recipes
Love this creamy ground beef and potato skillet dinner? Me, too! Here are some more of our favorites -
- Bourbon Chicken has a crispy coating and a sweet-spicy-tangy sauce clings to it, creating a symphony of flavor!
- Burrito Casserole is an easy make-ahead recipe with lots of Tex-Mex flavor - gooey cheese and seasoned beef.
- King Ranch Chicken is super quick and easy. Chicken, Ro*Tel, and onion are mixed with a creamy sauce and layered with corn tortillas and cheese.
🍽️ Serve with...
Serve this one-pan ground beef dinner with a salad or try one of these delicious side dishes.
- Chewy, crusty baguettes go with almost everything and they are especially nice with this cozy comfort food. Best of all they're easy to make in just 30 minutes.
- Take it old school with maple glazed carrots on the side!
Here are over 35 more great ideas for sides that will work well with hamburger hash.
🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
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You're definitely going to want a large cast iron skillet to make this.
📞 The last word
A hearty, one pan meal is one of those recipes I keep on speed dial! This easy recipe is one you'll make again and again.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Ground Beef and Potato Skillet Dinner
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 5 potatoes, peeled and diced
- ½ cup onion , chopped
- 1 pound ground beef, extra lean
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 14.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- ⅔ cup milk
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, or Pepper Jack - shredded
Instructions
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in the iron skillet.
- Add the potatoes and onions.
- Saute until the potatoes begin to get golden but aren't mushy.
- Add the ground beef.
- Cook, stirring often, until beef is cooked through and potatoes are tender.
- Mix the milk and cream of mushroom soup, whisking until smooth.
- Add half the cheese to the milk mixture.
- Stir well and spoon into the skillet.
- Stir and simmer until the cheese melts and the sauce is covering all the meat and potatoes.
- If the mixture in the skillet looks too thick I'll add about ¼ cup more milk or water to loosen it up.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese and cover.
- Turn heat off and let the skillet stand, covered, for 5 minutes so the cheese melts.
- Serve.
Notes
- Make it super fast by using pre-cooked hashbrown potatoes. They're usually available near the eggs in the dairy section.
- Use a bag of frozen onion and pepper mix to cut down on prep time.
- Try to get the potatoes all the same size - they'll cook quicker and more evenly.
- This does not freeze well.
- Serve with a salad for a quick meal. If you happen to have some dinner rolls in the freezer all the better.
- Add chopped chiles or jalapenos for a little kick.
- Substitute different cheeses for the Cheddar.
- Use cauliflower for the potatoes to save on calories and carbs.
- Add a pinch of garlic powder.
- Leftover pot roast works well in this recipe as a substitute for the meat in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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First published March 10, 2021. Last updated October 14, 2023, for better instructions and readability
Brian says
I microwave the potatoes for a short time until they are mostly cooked, then, allow them to cool slightly, slice them and add them to the dish.
Jo says
Made according to recipe. Not much flavor. Kids didn't like at all. I had fun prepping it, but otherwise its a thumbs down for our family.
Novice Cook says
Used Cream of Celery instead and it didn't turn out as I hoped