Creamy Ground Beef and Potato Skillet Dinner

There's nothing better than a one pan dinner like this hamburger skillet! You might also like the easy smoked sausage Alfredo recipe!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🥫 Storage
• 💭 Things to know
• Variations
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Frequently asked questions
• 📚 Related recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

• Takes just 30 minutes
• 1 pan means easy clean up
• Creamy and comforting

There's just something about a ground beef skillet dinner that makes us smile! Maybe it's the easy cleanup.

🧾 Ingredients

Six simple ingredients plus the usual suspects: salt, pepper, and a little oil!

• Lean ground beef - since this is cooked all in one 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.

This is an easy meal to stretch when there is more month than paycheck.

• 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.

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in an iron skillet (or any heavy skillet).
2. Add the potatoes and onions.
3. Saute until the potatoes begin to get golden but aren't mushy.
4. Add the meat and cook until it is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
5. Mix the milk and soup.
6. Add half the cheese.
7. Spoon into the skillet, mixing in the ground beef and potatoes. Top with remaining cheese.
8. Cover, turn heat off and let the skillet stand, covered, for 5 minutes so the cheese melts.
9. Serve.

🥫 Storage

This easy ground beef skillet recipe can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to four days if you have leftovers. 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.

• 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.

Variations

Variety is the spice of life, right?

• 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.
• 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 in with the potatoes and ground beef.

👩🏻‍🍳 Frequently asked questions

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

📚 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.

📖 Recipe

First published February 24, 2020. Last updated March 10, 2021 for better instructions and readability.