Old-fashioned Potato-beef Casserole

Total Time: 55 mins
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4


• 3 lbs red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick


• 1 lb lean ground beef


• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion


• 4 tablespoons butter


• 1/4 cup flour


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper


• 2 cups milk


• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated


• 1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs

Recipe

• 1 place the potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover by 1 inch.


• 2 add a generous pinch of salt and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender; do not overcook.


• 3 drain the potatoes and arrange them in a 9 x 9 inch casserole dish.


• 4 while potatoes are cooking, in large skillet, combine the beef and onion and cook together over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onion softened, 12-15 minutes.


• 5 pour off excess fat.


• 6 preheat oven to 350 degrees.


• 7 melt the butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in flour to make a roux.


• 8 cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and the flour turns light brown in color.


• 9 gradually whisk in the milk and continue to stir while cooking over medium heat.


• 10 when the mixture thickens, whisk in the salt and pepper, then stir in the cheese and browned beef.


• 11 pour the ground beef mixture over the potatoes and bake the casserole for 20 minutes until heated through and bubbling.


• 12 stir the casserole gently.


• 13 sprinkle a little more cheddar cheese on top, if desired, and the bread crumbs on top of the casserole and bake until the crumbs are toasted, about 5 minutes longer.