Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin
360 CommentsUpdated Mar 10, 2026
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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 Russet potatoes, ground beef, and simple flavors, your family will love this dinner choice.
Featured Comment
“I tried this and it was amazing. Definitely cooking it again and again. The taste was so good. Wish I could show you photo of mine.”
This is a stick-to-your-ribs, meat-and-potatoes recipe! Who knew you could make potatoes au gratin with ground beef? Potatoes au gratin are similar to scalloped potatoes but have cheese added. The potatoes get ultra tender, and the flavors meld together perfectly during the slow cooking time. We love making crockpot recipes with ground beef.
I love a comforting one-pot meal in the slow cooker like this one and my Crockpot Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans Recipe or Crockpot Pot Roast.
Key Ingredients
Potatoes: Just need cheap russet potatoes for this.
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.
How to Make Potatoes Au Gratin with Beef
- Layer sliced potatoes with seasoned beef, onions, spices, and cheese in the crockpot.
- Pour broth over the layers, then cover and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Let it rest briefly, then scoop and serve while hot and cheesy.
Tips & Variations
Potato Type: Use any potato (red, gold, or white). Just be sure they are thinly sliced. You can even use sweet potatoes for an entirely different meal.
Skins: You can leave the skin on the potatoes if desired; it’s a personal preference.
Meat Swap: Brown one pound of bacon, crumble and use it in place of the beef in this recipe. You can also use ground turkey.
Change up the Cheese: Use Swiss cheese or pepper Jack for a totally different flavored meal.
Serving Suggestions
Here is how I serve this easy ground beef dinner:
Toppings: Though this slow cooker beef and potatoes is great as-is, you can top it with freshly ground pepper, hot sauce, green onions and sour cream.
Sides: Add a vegetable such as buttered corn, green beans or a salad. Of course, don’t forget the bread!
Do I have to brown the meat?
Yes. For this meal, it is very important to brown the beef first. If you don’t, the meat will release too much liquid and end up with a meatloaf-like consistency.
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!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Storing and Reheating:
Store the leftover beef and potatoes in the fridge for up to four days. I personally don’t think this freezes well, so eat leftovers up promptly.
More Slow Cooker Recipes with Ground Beef
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 Slow Cooker Chili is hearty and bold, and Slow Cooker Hamburger Hash is a one-pot mix of beef, potatoes, and veggies.
I’m a little confused at the negative comments as this turned out GREAT – cheesy potatoes, how could that possibly be bad?! Gonna make it again tomorrow, thanks!
My kiddos loved it. The only thing i would cjange is to not add any cheese until 20 minutes before serving there was nothing left of the cheese that was in the whole cooking time. Otherwise this was great!!!!
Can you cook on low for 8 hours instead of high for 4 hours? I would need to set before I leave for work.
I don’t think there is enough moisture in this for it to cook that long without burning.
I add 2 cups broth and cook on low for 7 hours! You can always make adjustments later to suite individual taste.
No crock par need to do in over please help time and temp
Terrible recipe!! Meat ends up overcooked and potatoes no where near done
Whole family enjoyed this. Flavorful and easy to make. I baked it vs crock pot. Cover with foil if you try it this way.
How long did u bake it for?
Im going to bake it. I’ll let you know.
Hello, When I use my Crock Pot, I always seem to get a lot of Liquid. How do I prevent this?
Your receipe looks dry, How did you manage that.
This reicpe isn’t covered in liquid because there is no moist meat in it like a roast. 🙂 most slow cooker recipes have a meat in them that produce a lot of liquid.
What can I use in place of the cheese? My husband does not eat dairy or gluten
Just leave it out. The recipe doesn’t need to be exact, unlike if you were, say, baking a cake. Or you could try dairy free or lactose free cheese
Loved the recipe! I didn’t have thyme or garlic powder., so I used minced garlic instead and left the thyme out. There was a lot of liquid in the bottom of the crockpot in the end, so I spooned it out into baking dish, topped with more cheese, and baked in a 350 dig oven for 5 minutes. Everyone thought it was delicious.
Thyme? I didn’t see that in the recipe.
Cooking this tomorrow. Cannot wait to taste it!