The Rundown
This hamburger casserole has been a Sunday staple that my mom has cooked for us for years and years. It was something that the whole family could enjoy. Although this dish is very simple, it is nothing short of fabulous with its cheesy, potato-ey, beefy goodness.
Although this is a great dish to eat year round, we often would eat it exactly how I did this past weekend – served with fresh garden veggies.
The meal would include butter beans, cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden, as well as a hint of fresh peppers diced on top for a little heat if you liked.
This meal has a way of making you feel good from the inside out. Friends have described it to me as “a hug for your belly.”

Tools You Need:
- Casserole Dish with Lid -OR- Dutch Oven with Lid
- Skillet
- Cutting board
- Chef Knife
The Lowdown
This casserole begins by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Next, you want to cook your ground beef. I find that adding 1 Tablespoon of water to the skillet helps break up the fats, creating cooked ground beef that is fine, rather than chunky. Drain any excess fat from ground beef. Once this is complete, set aside and slice red potatoes and sweet onions. I like to keep potato skins on for pretty color and extra nutrients! You can always peel them, if preferred.
I like to layer the dish with ground beef, then sweet onions, and then red potatoes. Season the potato layer with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Depending on the size of your casserole dish, you want to get at least two layers of these.
The final ingredient before popping into the oven is cream of mushroom soup! I always say, 1 can per pound of beef used. One may be enough for you though – up to 1.5 pounds of beef. Place lid on casserole and place into the preheated oven.
When potatoes are soft (when poked with a fork), the casserole is done. This typically takes about 45 minutes to a 1 hour. Final step is shaking the 2 cups of cheese evenly across the top of the bubbling soup. Replace lid and place back into the oven for 5 minutes.
The Recipe
Mama’s Hamburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 93%, 7%
- 1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
- 6 medium red potatoes sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 sweet onion
- 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a non-stick skillet, brown ground beef with ½ tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Drain off excess fat.
- Slice washed red potatoes about ¼ inch thick. Cut the sweet onion in half, then slice ¼ inch thick.
- Layer ~½ each of ground beef, then onion, then potatoes in casserole dish or Dutch oven. Sprinkle salt & pepper to season potatoes. Complete at least one more full layer.
- Spread entire can of cream of mushroom soup over the top layer of potatoes. Place lid on dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender. Insert a fork to test.
- Remove casserole; Spread even layer of cheese over the top. Replace the lid; place dish back into the oven to melt cheese for 5 minutes.
- Serve!
Need a sweet treat? Check out my Blueberry Cobbler recipe!