This Cheesy Ground Beef and Potato Skillet is exactly the kind of dinner I love for a busy weeknight: simple ingredients, one skillet, and plenty of cheesy comfort food goodness.
It's made with seasoned ground beef, tender potatoes, onions, garlic, and plenty of melted cheddar cheese. A little heavy cream and chicken broth bring everything together into a creamy sauce without needing a can of condensed soup.
It's filling, inexpensive, and made with ingredients you can easily grab at Aldi. Plus, ground beef and potatoes are one of those combinations that just works when you need to stretch a grocery budget without making dinner feel boring.
You'll need one pound of ground beef. I usually use whatever ground beef is the best price at Aldi that week.
If your beef releases quite a bit of grease while cooking, you can drain some before adding the remaining ingredients.
You'll need about 1½ pounds of potatoes cut into small cubes.
Russet potatoes work great and are usually inexpensive, but Yukon gold potatoes would also be delicious.
The biggest tip here is to cut your potatoes fairly small and keep the pieces similar in size. About ½-inch cubes work well and help them cook much faster.
One small diced yellow onion adds lots of flavor and cooks right alongside the ground beef.
I use three cloves of fresh minced garlic. If you're a big garlic person, I wouldn't be mad about adding another one.
You'll need about 1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
Sharp cheddar gives the skillet a little more flavor, but mild cheddar works perfectly if that's what your family prefers.
A little chicken broth helps steam the potatoes until they're tender and later becomes part of our creamy sauce.
You can also substitute beef broth if that's what you already have.
Heavy cream makes the sauce rich and creamy without needing condensed soup.
Just a tablespoon adds a little extra savory flavor to the ground beef.
We're keeping the seasoning cabinet pretty simple with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Cut your potatoes into small, approximately ½-inch cubes.
Try to keep them close to the same size so you don't end up with some potatoes completely cooked while others are still hard in the middle.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the potatoes and season them with about half of the salt and black pepper.
Add a small splash of water, about 2–3 tablespoons, and cover the skillet.
Let the potatoes steam for about 5 minutes.
This gives them a head start on cooking and helps prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
Remove the lid and let any remaining water cook off.
If the skillet looks dry, add another small drizzle of olive oil.
Continue cooking the potatoes uncovered for another 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're beginning to turn golden brown and are almost fork-tender.
Don't stir constantly. Giving the potatoes a little time against the hot skillet helps them develop those browned edges.
Push the potatoes toward the outside of the skillet.
Add the ground beef and diced onion to the center.
Cook until the ground beef is browned and the onion is tender, breaking the beef apart with a spoon or spatula as it cooks.
Drain excess grease if necessary.
Then stir the beef, onions, and potatoes together.
Add the minced garlic, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
Stir and cook for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream.
Stir everything together and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Let the skillet simmer for about 3–5 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely fork-tender and the sauce has started to thicken.
Give it a taste here and add a little more salt or pepper if needed. Potatoes can soak up quite a bit of seasoning!
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly over the top.
Cover the skillet and cook for another 2–3 minutes, just until the cheese is completely melted.
Top with sliced green onions if you'd like and serve while it's warm.
Potatoes can definitely be a little stubborn in a skillet, especially when you're starting with raw potatoes.
The easiest trick is to give them a little steam before trying to brown them.
Add a couple tablespoons of water after putting the potatoes in the skillet, cover them, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. This starts softening the potatoes without requiring a ton of oil.
Once they're partially tender, remove the lid and let the water evaporate. Add another small drizzle of oil if the pan looks dry and then let the potatoes brown.
Also, don't try to scrape a potato off the skillet the second it sticks. Once it develops a browned crust, it will often release much more easily on its own.
This is also a great clean-out-the-fridge dinner.
You could add:
Just keep in mind that vegetables with a lot of moisture may make the sauce slightly thinner.
Honestly, this one can absolutely be dinner all by itself.
You've already got your meat and potatoes in the skillet, so I usually wouldn't make things complicated.
If you want something on the side, try a simple salad, steamed broccoli, green beans, or whatever vegetable you already have in the freezer.
Definitely.
Cheddar is my favorite because it gives this skillet that classic cheesy beef-and-potatoes flavor, but Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or a cheddar blend would all work.
It's also a great recipe for using up the random half-bag of shredded cheese hanging out in the refrigerator.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
The sauce will thicken as it sits, so add a small splash of broth or milk when reheating if needed.
You can reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm everything gently in a skillet over medium-low heat.
This easy Cheesy Ground Beef and Potato Skillet is made with tender potatoes, seasoned ground beef and melted cheddar for a budget-friendly one-pan family dinner.
Potatoes can definitely be a little stubborn in a skillet, especially when you're starting with raw potatoes.
The easiest trick is to give them a little steam before trying to brown them.
Add a couple tablespoons of water after putting the potatoes in the skillet, cover them, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. This starts softening the potatoes without requiring a ton of oil.
Once they're partially tender, remove the lid and let the water evaporate. Add another small drizzle of oil if the pan looks dry and then let the potatoes brown.
Also, don't try to scrape a potato off the skillet the second it sticks. Once it develops a browned crust, it will often release much more easily on its own.
