Potato and Ground Beef Gratin

72 Ratings

47 Comments

Kitchen Tested

Prep 35 min
Total 1 hr 45 min
Servings 6

Comfort food at its finest! Don’t pass on this casserole of beef and potatoes in a creamy Cheddar sauce. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated February 3, 2014

Ingredients

lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

tablespoons butter or margarine

small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

tablespoons all-purpose flour

teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

cups milk

cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese (12 oz)

medium white potatoes (2 1/2 lb), peeled, thinly sliced (6 cups)

Steps

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1

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef, salt and pepper over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
3

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in thyme.
4

Stir milk into onion mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted.
5

Spread half of the potatoes in baking dish. Top with beef; spread remaining potatoes over beef. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes.
6

Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over potatoes. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes longer or until top is brown and bubbly and potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Expert Tips

If you love kitchen gadgets, you may want to look into getting a mandoline. This hand-operated machine has blades that adjust for thin to thick slicing of firm vegetables and fruits. It works nicely for slicing the potatoes in this gratin.
Use frozen chopped onions, and purchase already-shredded cheese.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 640
Calories from Fat: 320

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 36g; 55%
Saturated Fat 20g 102% Trans Fat 1 1/2g
Cholesterol: 130mg; 44%
Sodium: 880mg; 37%
Potassium: 970mg; 28%
Total Carbohydrate: 45g; 15%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16% Sugars 9g
Protein: 35g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 20%; 20%
Vitamin C: 10%; 10%
Calcium: 45%; 45%
Iron: 15%; 15%

Exchanges:

2 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 4 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;