Hashbrown Hamburger Casserole

It’s a hearty, thrifty dinner made with simple ingredients, including one pound of ground beef, frozen vegetables, refrigerated hash browns, and plenty of cheddar cheese.

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This is one of those casseroles I make when I want the whole dinner in one baking dish. I use refrigerated shredded hash browns because they’re already thawed and easy to spread over the beef filling, and the potatoes bake up nicely around the edges, kind of crispy and brown.

This casserole is, hands down, a family favorite, and I managed to sneak in a whole bag of frozen veggies. It’s just meaty and hearty and pure comfort food. Even better is that I can prep it and bake it in one hour.

And, if you want, you can make this casserole and bake it the next day, perfect for those weeknights when everyone is busy but wants some comfort food for dinner. For another comforting dinner, try my Crock Pot Pork Chops, which cook in a creamy mushroom gravy.

If you have ground beef to use, bake my classic Homemade Meatloaf; it’s another old-fashioned dinner that makes good leftovers. Have you ever had a meatloaf sandwich? If not, try it.

And if it’s the cheesy potatoes you’re after, my Egg Sausage & Hashbrown Casserole is a breakfast casserole I sometimes serve for supper, too.

Recipe Highlights

A Few Things To Know Before You Start

• This casserole takes about an hour from start to finish.
• It’s a filling, old-fashioned dinner made with beef, potatoes, vegetables, and cheese.
• A whole bag of frozen vegetables goes right into the filling.
• You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and bake it later.
• Leftovers reheat well for lunch or dinner the next day.

Ingredients Needed

You need simple ingredients for an easy recipe

• Ground Beef – One pound is plenty for this casserole. Brown it well and drain off any excess grease before adding the remaining ingredients.
• Onion – I sauté chopped onion with the beef. If you have someone who won’t touch onions, like my daughter, substitute about one teaspoon of onion powder.
• Cream of Chicken soup – This makes the creamy sauce that holds the beef and vegetables together. Cream of mushroom soup works well, too.
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables – I use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and add them straight to the skillet. There is no need to cook them first.
• Refrigerated Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes – I use refrigerated shredded hash browns for this casserole because they are already thawed and easy to spread evenly over the beef filling. If you use frozen shredded hash browns instead, thaw them first and blot away any excess moisture so the potato topping doesn’t turn watery.
• Butter – Melted butter coats the potatoes and helps them brown as the casserole bakes.
• Cheddar Cheese – Half goes into the hash brown mixture and the rest is sprinkled over the top near the end of baking.
• Olive oil – For sautéing the onion and browning the ground beef.
• Salt and black pepper – Season the beef to taste.

How To Make A Hashbrown Hamburger Casserole

Before you start: Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease your casserole dish.

Step 1. Chop the onion and add it to a large skillet with the olive oil. Cook until the onion softens.

Step 2. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain off any excess grease.

Step 3. Add the frozen vegetables to the ground beef.

Step 4. Stir together the cream of chicken soup and milk, then add the mixture to the skillet. Stir until the beef and vegetables are evenly coated.

Step 5. Spoon the ground beef mixture into the prepared casserole dish and spread it into an even layer.

Step 6. Melt the butter. In a large bowl, combine the shredded hash browns, melted butter, and half of the cheddar cheese.

Step 7. Spread the hash brown mixture evenly over the ground beef filling. Don’t press the potatoes down too firmly. Keeping the topping a little loose helps the edges and top brown as they bake.

Step 8. Bake for 30 minutes.

Step 9. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the potatoes and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are golden around the edges

I wait until the last 15 minutes to add the remaining cheese. This gives the potatoes some time to start browning before they’re covered with cheese.

Make Ahead and Leftovers

What To Serve With This Casserole

Since this casserole already includes beef, potatoes, and vegetables, you don’t need much to serve alongside it.

• We often serve it with my Caesar Salad with Bacon. When corn is in season, Grilled Corn on the Cob is another good choice.
• You can also add a batch of Homemade Biscuits to bake while the casserole is in the oven.

Variations and Substitutions

Casseroles are meant to be easy and thrifty, made with basic pantry ingredients. Feel free to change what you add to this recipe, make it your own, and use what you have on hand.

• Substitute ground sausage for the ground beef, or use half sausage and half beef.
• Use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken.
• Swap the mixed vegetables for peas, corn, green beans, or another frozen vegetable your family likes.
• Use a different melting cheese, such as Colby Jack, instead of cheddar.
• Sprinkle French-fried onions over the top during the last few minutes of baking for a crunchy topping.
• Add garlic powder or another seasoning you already use with ground beef.

More Delicious Recipes Made With Hamburger

If you have another pound of ground beef in the refrigerator or freezer, here are a few more ways to use it.

• My Ground Beef and Rice Skillet is another one-pan dinner made with simple ingredients.
• For a classic dinner, make my Pan-Fried Hamburgers.
• This Hamburger Macaroni and Cheese Casserole is another filling casserole for a hungry family.
• And my Classic Homemade Meatloaf is an old-fashioned ground beef dinner that makes good leftovers.
• My Hamburger Vegetable Soup puts ground beef, potatoes, and mixed vegetables into a comforting tomato broth.

Recipe

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First published July 29, 2022. Updated August 13, 2026, for better readability and clearer recipe instructions.

  

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