Dive into this cosy Beef and Potato Layered Casserole. Seasoned ground beef in a tomato sauce layered between thinly sliced potatoes and sharp cheddar cheese. A great back to school dinner!

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Too early for comfort food? We are mid way through August and I am really starting to think about more comforting dishes with fall just around the corner. Like every year this time, I am ready for cosy dinners like the Creamy Chicken and Zucchini Casserole and my delicious Turkey Meatball Stroganoff. What about you guys, are you ready for fall dinners yet?

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What is This Beef and Potato Layered Casserole

• Difficulty – Although this is not a difficult dish to make, it is very time consuming. In total it takes more than 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. It’s a dish to make when you have more available time.
• Taste – Everyone in my house loved this dish. It’s a little like a lasagna, but not! The tomato flavoured beef is rich and flavoursome. The potatoes are perfectly tender and have a wonderful flavour from the sauce. The cheese is just the right amount.
• Serving – This dish will make approximately 6 servings. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can easily adjust serving size to suit your needs. Keep in mind this will change the size of dish you have to use and may affect cooking time.

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Ingredients

• Olive oil – I used olive oil to cook the peppers and onions.
• Green pepper – This recipe used one large green bell pepper. I finely diced it for flavour without having large pieces in the finished dish.
• Onion – I used a white onion finely diced.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cloves add an extra layer of flavours.
• Ground beef – I opted for lean organic ground beef. Yes, it’s more expensive. But it elevated this dish so much and really gave it 5 stars!
• Seasonings – I added oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper to the ground beef.
• Can tomatoes – This recipes uses a large can of whole tomatoes.
• Tomato paste – I added tomato paste to the sauce to help thicken it up and to add a more concentrated flavour.
• Potatoes – This recipe is layered with thinly sliced potatoes. I used two large potatoes and it worked great.
• Cheese – I opted for sharp cheddar cheese. It added a great flavour!

NOTE, Find the full recipe and ingredient list at the end of the post in the recipe card.

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Instructions

1. Cook vegetables – In a large skillet set over medium to high heat add the olive oil, green peppers and onions. Stir well and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
2. Cook ground beef – Add the ground beef to the cooked vegetables and break up with a meat tenderizer. Cook down until the ground beef is fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Stir well until completely combined.
3. Add tomatoes and finish sauce – Add the can tomatoes and the tomato paste to the ground beef mixture. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stir well to completely combine. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to cook down for about 15 minutes. Stir well and remove from heat.
4. Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC and grease a deep sided 9 x 5 inch (or equivalent size) baking dish. Set aside.
5. Assemble casserole – Start with an even layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with ground beef mixture and then cheese. Repeat for 4 layers or until you have used up all of your ingredients.
6. Bake – Loosely cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 – 25 minutes until golden, bubbly and fully cooked.
7. Serve – Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Recipe Tips

• Prep ahead – You can completely make the ground beef filling a day ahead and keep it in the fridge for and easy dish the next day.
• Slicing the potatoes – Try to slice the potatoes thin and even. This will not only ensure even cooking but will ensure they are fully cooked when the casserole is ready.
• Place a tray at the bottom of the oven – I suggest placing a tray underneath the casserole dish or at the bottom of the oven. This casserole bubbles a lot and the sauce will spill over a little during baking.
• Cover during baking – Make sure to cover the casserole for the first hour of baking. Otherwise it will brown too quickly and even dry out a little.

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Substitutions

• Ground beef – I used a lean ground beef for this recipe and I thought it was perfect. If you are looking for a different flavour you could try ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey. They will all work for this recipe.
• Whole canned tomatoes – Yes, you can use diced can tomatoes as well.
• Cheddar – Alternatively you can use Monterey Jack cheese, Mozzarella cheese or Gouda.

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Serving

You can serve this dish all on it’s own or with a few sides. Here are a few sides that I think would go great!

• Garlic Knots
• Fluffy White Dinner Rolls
• Roasted Broccolini
• Garlic Sauteed Green Beans
• Cucumber Onion and Tomato Salad

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Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!