Best Crockpot Hamburger Casserole

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredient Notes

• Ground Beef –  we like lean ground beef for this mainly because we don’t have to drain it, but also because it’s better for us. 
• Potatoes – we typically use russet potatoes but any type of potato will work.
• Diced Tomatoes – any variety will work, we sometimes use Italian Style, Fire Roasted or Basil, Garlic & Oregano. 
• Cheese Soup –  we use the Heart Healthy type to make this a little better for us, use your favorite brand and type. 
• Beef Broth – homemade or your favorite brand are perfect in this recipe. 
• Milk – we use whole milk but low-fat or 2% milk can be used. I have not tried this recipe with dairy-free milk. 
• Shredded Cheese – I like pre-shredded cheddar cheese for this to keep it simple but freshly grated will melt a little better.

How to Make Crock Pot Hamburger Casserole

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain off excess fat if not using lean ground beef.  
2. Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces, see tip below for a time saver!
3. Spray the crock with nonstick cooking spray and add the cooked ground beef, potatoes, tomatoes, soup, broth and milk into the pot and give it a good stir. 
4. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 7-8 hours. 
5. When it’s finished cooking stir and top it with cheese, cover and allow the cheese to melt, 3-5 minutes. 

Tips

• Make this hamburger potato casserole recipe even easier by using small fingerling or creamer potatoes. Then you don’t even have to cut them! 
• Be sure to spray the crock with a little cooking spray for easy clean up.
• While you can technically cook raw ground beef in a slow cooker I recommend browning it first so it goes into the crockpot crumbled. The beef will clump together and will need to be broken up, which could break the potatoes into small pieces. Plus, you would need to use the leanest ground beef so your casserole doesn’t end up being too greasy. 

Substitutions and Additions

• Want to make this dish less expensive or better for you? Swap the pound of ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken. You could even use a combination of ground beef and one of these other choices. 
• Ground Italian sausage would be great in this dish, give it a kick by using spicy or hot sausage.
• Instead of cheese soup you could use cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, or cream of potato soup. If you want to give this some heat then use Spicy Nacho Cheese soup.  
• Add some extra protein into this dish by adding a can of rinsed and drained kidney beans.
• Slip some veggies into this meal by adding corn, peas or green beans. Frozen or canned corn will work. I wouldn’t recommend canned peas or green beans because they will become too mushy, frozen or fresh is the best option when slow cooking these vegetables. 
• Top with a dollop of sour cream to add coolness and tang.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, stirring about halfway.

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