Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin
340 Comments Jan 08, 2023
Updated Apr 05, 2025
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If you’re looking for a hearty meal, this Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin is the perfect recipe to try. Packed with hearty Russet potatoes, ground beef, and simple flavors, your family will love this dinner choice.
I love a hearty one-pot meal in the slow cooker like this one and my Crockpot Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans Recipe or Crcokpot Pot Roast Dinner.
What is potato au gratin?
Au gratin potatoes are often confused with scalloped potatoes because they look similar. While scalloped potatoes typically call for a mix of milk and heavy cream, potato au gratin ingredients include lots of shredded cheese between its layers.
For this particular recipe, a combination of ground beef, white onion, and shredded sharp cheese are layered before slowly being cooked to perfection. Who knew you could make potatoes au gratin with ground beef?
Key Ingredients for Beef Au Gratin
You may already have many of these ingredients at home. For full recipe amounts, see the recipe card below the photos.
- Potatoes: The potatoes go in the slow cooker peeled; though I don’t mind skin on for most recipes, this one tastes great without. Be sure the potatoes are thinly sliced.
- Ground Beef: Adding beef to the recipe makes this au gratin potato dish a complete meal.
- Seasonings: These potatoes need heavy seasoning, so I went heavy with salt and pepper and added garlic powder, paprika, and parsley.
- Onion: White onion adds flavor and heartiness to this delicious casserole recipe.
- Beef broth: Evenly poured over all the layers to help everything cook evenly. Chicken broth works in a pinch!
- Cheese: It’s best to use a block of sharp cheddar cheese for shredding as it melts the best in meals like this.
Beef and Potato Au Grain Video
Variations
You can change this recipe up! Here are my approved adaptions.
- Use any potatoes (red, gold, or white potatoes). Just be sure they are thinly sliced. You can even use sweet potatoes for an entirely different meal.
- You can leave the skin on the potatoes if desired; it’s a personal preference.
- Brown one package (12-16 ounces) of bacon, crumble and use it in place of the beef in this recipe. You can also use ground turkey.
- Use swiss cheese for a totally different flavored meal.
How to Make Potatoes Au Gratin with Beef
Step One – Brown ground beef on the stovetop in a large skillet; add salt and pepper to taste.
Step Two – Mix the paprika, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Step Three – Peel and slice russet potatoes thinly and lay them on the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add half of the potatoes to the slow cooker. Sprinkle over half of the onions and half of the seasonings.
Step Four – Add half of the meat.
Step Five – Sprinkle over half of the cheese.
Step Six – Add the remaining potato slices, seasoning, and onion.
Step Seven – Add the remaining beef.
Step Eight – Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and drizzle over the beef broth.
How to Serve Beef and Potato Au Gratin
Here is how I serve this easy ground beef dinner:
- Since this is a one-pot meal, you can serve it as-is by scooping a nice serving into a bowl.
- You can’t go wrong with sour cream and extra cheese for additional tasty topping suggestions. Hot sauce and green onion are great additions as well.
- This is a proper comfort food, so garlic bread, garlic sticks, or homemade rolls also complement this casserole perfectly.
Recipe FAQs
You can stir together a can of mushroom soup with the beef broth before pouring it over the finished layers.
Add any remaining beef and potatoes to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers on the stove top over medium heat.
More Ground Beef Crockpot Recipes
John Wayne Casserole and Hamburger Potato Casserole are layered, cheesy dishes made with ground beef, potatoes, and plenty of flavor—perfect for feeding a hungry crowd.
For something more versatile, Slow Cooker Ground Beef is great for prepping meals ahead, while Crockpot Salisbury Steak simmers in rich gravy with onions and mushrooms.
If you’re in the mood for cozy and satisfying, the Best Crockpot Chili is hearty and bold, and Slow Cooker Hamburger Hash is a one-pot mix of beef, potatoes, and veggies
Slow Cooker Beef and Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef, plus a touch of salt and pepper to season
- 3 lbs. peeled russet potatoes, sliced a ¼ inch thick (about 7 cups total after being sliced)
- 1 cup thinly sliced white onion
- 1 tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheese
- ½ cup beef broth, or chicken broth
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef on the stove top, drain fat. Add a touch of salt and pepper to season.
- In a small bowl combine the paprika, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Add half of the potatoes in the slow cooker. Sprinkle over half of the onions, half of the seasonings, half of the meat, and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers again.
- Drizzle over the broth evenly over the layers.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Do not open the lid during the cooking time or the potatoes will not get soft.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- Use any potatoes (red, gold, or white potatoes). Just be sure they are thinly sliced. You can even use sweet potatoes for an entirely different meal.
- You can leave the skin on the potatoes if desired; it’s a personal preference.
- Brown one package (12-16 ounces) of bacon, crumble and use it in place of the beef in this recipe. You can also use ground turkey.
- Use swiss cheese for a totally different flavored meal.
- Since this is a one-pot meal, you can serve it as-is by scooping a nice serving into a bowl.
- You can’t go wrong with sour cream and extra cheese for additional tasty topping suggestions. Hot sauce and green onion are great additions as well.
- This is a proper comfort food, so garlic bread, garlic sticks, or homemade rolls also complement this casserole perfectly.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Need an Instant Pot Version of this? Try this version:
Instant Pot Beef and Potato Au Gratin from The Centsable Shoppin’
can this be cooked on low??
Yes though I think it would take bout 5-6 hours on low.
If I cut the recipe in half for my 3 1/2 qt slow cooker would I also cut the cooking time down?? I really want to make this because my DIL sent it to me and said it was very good!! Thanks so much
It probably won’t take as long! Just check of the potato doneness.
Made ground beef and potatoes adding a layer of shredded cabbage and can of cheddar soup mixed w 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 c of beef broth cooked on low about 6-8 hrs
Made bta ,what a dish. Thanks