Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep and preheat
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish so the layers bake evenly.
Brown the beef
- Brown the ground beef with the diced onion in a skillet over medium heat, stirring until the beef is cooked through.
- Drain the fat, add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 more minute to mellow the garlic without browning it too much.
Make the soup mixture
- In a bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and beef broth until smooth.
- Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Layer and bake
- Layer half the thinly sliced russet potatoes in the greased dish, spreading them in an even layer.
- Top with half the beef mixture, then spoon on half the soup mixture.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, beef mixture, and soup mixture.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Cheese top and finish
- Remove the foil and sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 15 more minutes at 375°F until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Notes
For the best slice-to-cook timing, aim for uniformly thin potato slices so they become tender at the same rate. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat covered in a 350°F oven until hot throughout. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. To make it lighter, use reduced-fat sour cream and cheese, keeping the layering method the same for a similar creamy texture.