This Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin is an easy from-scratch hearty meal!
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.
I can eat au gratin potatoes by the plate full! I decided to add ground beef to homemade potatoes au gratin and came up with this fabulous hearty meal.
I really enjoyed creating this recipe. I knew that the potatoes would need some heavy seasoning, so I went heavy with the salt and pepper, but also added garlic powder, paprika and parsley.
The potatoes go in the slow cooker peeled, though I don’t mind skin on for most recipes this one tastes great without.
How to make Beef and Potato Au Gratin in the crockpot:
- Brown ground beef on the stovetop, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Peel russet potatoes and lay them on the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- 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.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. (see full recipe below)
Can I use bacon instead of ground beef?
Yes! Brown one package (12-16 ounces) of bacon, crumble and use in place of the beef in this recipe.
Can I use a different type of potato?
Use any type of potato in this recipe just be sure to thinly slice them.
- Red Potatoes
- Gold Potatoes
- White Potatoes
How to serve Beef and Potato Au Gratin:
- Serve as a main dish.
- If desired add a green salad or steamed green veggies.
- Enjoy!
Does your family enjoy ground beef? Try more of my ground beef recipes:
- Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole
- Slow Cooker Land Your Man Baked Beans
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Chuck Wagon Chili
- Slow Cooker Hamburger Hash
Slow Cooker Beef and Potatoes Au Gratin
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
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 chicken broth or beef 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:
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition:
Need an Instant Pot Version of this? Try this version:
Instant Pot Beef and Potato Au Gratin from The Centsable Shoppin’
If cooking in the oven, what temp would you set it for and for how long?
Can I prepare everything and put in the refrigerator for the next day to cook
I’m unsure if the potatoes would brown while in the fridge.
Can I use ground chicken instead?
Sure! If that’s what you like.
Can you make this recipe on top of the stove & if so, what would the cooking time be?
I cooked in a stockpot on the stove top. I browned the meat, and didn’t drain. Added the seasonings and the broth, then added the potatoes and onions. I covered the dish, and cooked on medium about 15 minutes, then stirred and recovered and cooked another 15 minutes. I continued this cycle until potatoes were cooked and began to crumble with stirring. I turned off the heat, added cheese, and covered once more for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. It was a hit– other than cooking on the stovetop, my only variation was no parsley, and added a little seasoned salt.
Can I cook this recipe in the crockpot for 8 hrs. On low instead of 4 hrs. On high?
I think 6-7 hours is the most I would do.
I don’t have fresh parsley, but I have dried parsley. Is that ok?
that is what I used. 🙂
I was thinking it said Crock Pot. Will the cooking time be the same? I did add an extra 4 ounces of Chicken Broth as I didn’t think 4 ounces would be enough.
Crock pot is a brand of slow cooker. It should be fine!
Would it be a good idea to boil the potatoes first or will they be done by just adding to slow cooker?
They cook in the slow cooker. Keep the lid on the entire cook time.
Is this gluten free
If the broth you use is gluten free, it would be.
Should my potatoes be covered in broth
no, it’s there mostly to steam them and keep the potaotes from burning.
Thinking I have everything I start to make this and oops no cheese only Laughing Cow and Cheddar cheese slices …in they go to replace the shredded cheddar … we will see how it turns out …doubled the broth–chicken as I used turkey ground and without the proper cheese want to make sure its not dry
I think it will be fine! Let me know how you like it.
If I double the recipe. would it be the same cooking time? or longer?
Has anyone tried this recipe for 8 hours on LOW rather than the 4 hours on HIGH in their crockpot? Still ok?
I finally got around to making this last night. Sooooo good! I used my mandolin to slice my red and white potatoes, so they were thinner than the 1/4″ called for, but the 4 hours was still the perfect cooking time. Thanks for the great recipe. Once already shared it.
Hi..I bought new potatoes.. This…wil also work eh?!
Yes, should do fine!
good
I followed directions to cook on high for 4 hours. I placed a piece of tinfoil under the lid to hold the moisture for the potatoes. The top burger layer was a bit dry but my cooker temperature runs high. The potatoes were perfectly cooked. I sliced the potatoes closer to 1/2″ and left the skins on. The taste was ho hum. The taste of the cheese was not discernable. I think the longer cooking time simply melted the cheese into the moisture used for the potatoes. Maybe I’ll try it again and add a can of diced tomatoes and some chilies with much more cheese.
I made this today and it was so good! I used 1 cup of chicken bone broth and used red onion since that’s what I already had. Didn’t have parsley so I had to omit that. Also didn’t have paprika so I used soul seasoning which has paprika in it. Also sprinkled the meat with onion powder while it was cooking. Was very flavorful, not bland at all. halfway through I turned the heat down to low as it seemed to be cooking too hot. It was done in 4 hours. I have an older crock pot almost 20 years old, so not sure if that’s why. Added a little more shredded cheese to my portion once added to my plate. This is a great recipe and was easy to make. Much better than the boxed version!
Do you have nutrition info on this?
Pay attention…your comment obviously does not apply to the recipe at hand which is Beef and Potatoes Au gratin.
I cant speak for anyone else but I sure enough would not want butternut, lemon and herb chicken nor carrots mixed in.
I see this calls for a white onion. I have sweet onions. What is your opinion on that.
Sweet onion will work fine in this!
How many servings
about 6