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:
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tik Tok, and YouTube.
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’
Desiree A Bermani says
Very good! I halved the salt and doubled the pepper. Didn’t have stock so I used the pan drippings supplemented with water, but I misread the recipe and used 8 oz.
Sarah Olson says
Glad you enjoyed it and were able to make adjustments to your taste.
Barbara Wood says
I made this and it was very good. I’ll use this again, maybe try it with leftover Christmas ham. However, 4 hours on high burnt the edges, so I’ll adjust it next time. thanks
Moira Love says
Can you halve the ingredients for less people and if so less cooking time ? Also could I use casserole beef instead of the ground beef ? Ymthanks hoping to make this as soon as I hear back from you. Thank you.
Sarah Olson says
I would stick with ground beef, I don’t think cubed beef would get tender enough in this recipe. The timing would have to be tested, potatoes take quite a bit of time.
Debra Ross says
Cooking 4 hrs.,seems that it dries it out.
What can I do?
Sarah Olson says
You could add more broth, or slice your potatoes thinner and you won’t have to cook as long.
Alyanna Ojastro says
Can I use parmesan cheese instead?
Sarah Olson says
Yes! I have another potato recipe (campfire potatoes) that uses parmesan and it’s great.
Christopher Lupold says
Potatoes perfectly tender…perfect texture.. pleasing to the eye.. but the taste…mediocre at best. I dusted my plate with salt and pepper and it still was kinda bland…and bitter. Sorry
Leo says
That’s your fault for not seasoning well. I’m pretty sure if you followed her directions it would have taste….ijs
Vanessa M says
I over seasoned in case and it was still bland 🙁 it’s pretty looking, but definitely needs more flavor. I think some in the comments suggest cream of mushroom, so maybe that’ll help. But I’m on the same page as you
Linda says
Can I use something other than chicken broth
Sarah Olson says
Beef broth if you have it.
Valerie Y says
Would definitely recommend. Turned out very flavorful.
Glenn says
Would it throw off the recipe to add more ground beef?
Sarah Olson says
It will be fine 🙂
Teri says
Can you add sour cream or cream of chicken soup?
Sarah Olson says
I don’t see why not!
Anonymous says
yum was delicious
Susan says
Made this tonight. Good taste, but came out pretty greasy and the cheese was pretty much not visible. The beef was drained and cheese put in at the beginning of the cook as in the directions. I think putting the cheese in the last 20 minutes as someone suggested would be best to solve that problem. Any thought on what there was so much grease? Would like to make again and try to get a dryer version.
sherry says
did you use real cheese or artificial cheese food?
Sarah Olson says
Real cheese
Jerrica says
Can this become a freezer meal?
Sarah Olson says
I’ve never had luck with potaotes in the freezer.