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 Seasoned Chicken and Veggies Recipe or Homestyle 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?
Recipe Ingredients
- 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.
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
- Since this is a one-pot meal, you can serve it as-is by scooping a nice serving into a bowl. If anything, garnish the top with fresh parsley.
- You can’t go wrong with sour cream and extra cheese for additional tasty topping suggestions.
- This is a proper comfort food, so garlic bread, garlic sticks, or homemade rolls also complement this casserole perfectly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! 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 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 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.
You can leave the skin on the potatoes if desired; it’s a personal preference.
Try more of my ground beef recipes:
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Slow Cooker Beef and Potatoes Au Gratin
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!
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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’
Chaslyn says
This was great! I read comments before making and added more seasoning and bit more broth to prevent drying out and it was declious! My husband approved❤
Kerri says
This is very good as written! I will probably cut down the cheese a bit next time, but that’s just my personal preference as I thought it was a bit greasy.
Lee says
Made this the other day. Very good, the only thing I did different was I added more Beef stock so it didn’t dry out.
S says
Was hoping this would be better.. very bland. I wouldn’t make this again
Anonymous says
Why didn’t you add your own seasonings.
Pam says
Can this be doubled?
Sarah Olson says
Yes, should do fine. You may need to cook a little longer. Keep the lid on.
Jaden says
Could you cook this on the stove top? Or is it crock pot only?
Sarah Olson says
I’m unsure if there is enough liquid to cook this type of dish on the stove top.
Carie says
Just wondering if you think that it would turn out the same if you cooked on low for a longer amount of time. I am gone all day and want to try it for dinner but it would need to cook on low for about 8 hours while I am gone.
Sarah Olson says
I’m thinking it will be over done in that long of time. If I was to cook on low I would do 6 hours on low.
Lisa Radford says
Can I use store bought Au Gratin potatoes in this recipe as a time saver?
Sarah Olson says
The recipe would need to be tested with a larger amount of liquid.
sandra phillips says
i found that like, when making scallope potatoes, boiling the potatoe slices for about 8 minutes helps them to get done
Anonymous says
Nice tip!
Madison says
How do I go about making this a freezer meal?
Sarah Olson says
Potatoes don’t freeze very well (neither does dairy). I’m sorry!
Anonymous says
Can this be cooked without cheese?
Sarah Olson says
Yes, you can omit the cheese if needed.
Sandi says
I made this tonight and I have to say I would add some cream of mushroom soup and maybe some mushrooms. It was too blah otherwise
Stephanie says
I always double the amount of seasonings listed. I also add the same seasonings to the ground beef while it is cooking, and I use small red potatoes (sliced). My family loves this recipe! Leftovers are also great the next day.
Anonymous says
I actually picked this recipe because it DIDNT call for cream of mushroom soup, lol. There are plenty of other hash recipes that do if that’s what you’re after!
Sugarplum says
Exactly! Use mushrooms in a mushroom recipe.