Mince Potato Bake is an easy recipe that ticks the comfort food box! Made by combining layers of cooked beef mince with potatoes topped with cheese and oven baked. This beef mince potato bake pairs exceptionally well with a wide variety of mains, is an easy family meal and can be paired with some steamed greens for a complete meal.
Recipes like the Creamy Garlic Potatoes, Potato And Broccoli Bake, Potato And Onion Bake and the Potato And Sweet Potato Bake are all about creamy potato bake recipes.
The Skin on Roast Potatoes, Duck Fat Roast Potatoes and the Garlic Butter Potatoes offer alternate ways of cooking with this versatile vegetable.
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🤍 Mince Potato Bake
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about this baked beef and potatoes recipe in the points below:
- Grocery store ingredients: you will be able to get everything you need to make the recipe from your local grocery store. They are each year round available ingredients that will be easy to get your hands on. Some of them like the salt, pepper and thyme you may already have on hand.
- Family friendly: there are no 'hot' or 'spicy' flavors in the mix used for this recipe. That makes it perfect for all ages. It is a great combination of ingredients also known as 'the ultimate comfort food' that the whole family can enjoy together.
- Easy to make: this potato bake with beef mince is very straight forward in the steps needed to bring it together. We simply cook the beef, prepare the potatoes and then layer the whole lot into a baking dish. Then we are hands off whilst the oven does its thing.
- Taste and texture: this tasty ground beef with scalloped potatoes will tick both the taste and texture boxes with ease. It offers a variety of mouth watering highlights that you will want to return to again and again.
🥗 Mince Potato Bake Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the mince potato bake recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the beef mince and potato bake recipe calls for:
- Cheese: I like to use colby cheese. It is full of flavor and melts well. A wide variety of grated cheeses will work, choose your favorite or one with a bold taste ie not plain mozzarella.
- Olive oil: we use this to cook the beef mince.
- Garlic: gets fried off in the pan then cooked with the minced beef.
- Salt and pepper: to season the meat.
- Onion: 1 brown onion that we peel and dice is perfect.
- Beef mince: beef mince or ground beef depending on where you live. This is an excellent budget friendly cut of meat that works well across a wide variety of recipes.
- Dried thyme: this adds an extra depth of flavor to the sauce as well as enhancing the overall taste of the mince and potato bake.
- Potatoes: we need a 1 kg (approx 2.2 pounds). I use regular washed potatoes. You can use brushed potatoes if you wish too.
- Optional extras: for added oomph in the meat sauce I like to add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce (see video). The recipe works well with and without it and you can choose to add or omit these 2 ingredients as you see fit.
😉 Substitutions
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- Flavor profile: if you want to add some Worcestershire sauce for a little more oomph to the beef mince as it is cooking you can. Aim for 1-2 tablespoons (see video as I included this and the tomato paste mentioned below).
- Tomato sauce: or for more of a savoury mince flavor you can add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste and a can of tomato puree.
- More vegetables: or for additional vegetables add 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables with the onion when cooking the beef mince.
- Other ground meats: you can also make this recipe with other types of mince. Some alternatives are chicken, turkey, lamb, pork or a beef and pork combination.
- Herbs: for alternative herbs to the dried thyme you can use oregano, Italian herbs, dried parsley or dried chives.
- Leftover bolognese: if you are looking for a way to use up leftover bolognese sauce (without pasta) then you can use that in the potato layers instead of starting from scratch again!
👩🍳 How to Make Mince Potato Bake
Here are the step by step instructions to make the ground beef casserole recipe. We start by combining the ingredients for the cream sauce. You will need a large glass measuring cup and mini whisk or fork.
- Whisk together the sauce (Photo 1)
- Slice the onion (Photo 2)
- Add the oil and garlic and cook (Photo 3)
- Next add mince, salt and pepper (Photo 4)
To make mince potato bake we start by adding the dried thyme to the heavy cream. Whisk these together to form the sauce then set aside.
Next use a sharp knife and cutting board and peel then dice the onion.
Once done place a large frying pan onto the stove top turn the heat to high and add the olive oil. Next add the garlic and fry off in the hot oil for around 1 minute.
Then add the beef mince, salt pepper and diced onion to the pan. Cook till browned using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps of meat as you go. Add the tomato paste and sauce right when the mince is done, stirring it in to combine. The mince will take 8-10 minutes to cook.
- Add the onion and cook till browned (Photo 6)
- Peel the potatoes (Photo 7)
- Slice the potatoes (Photo 8)
- Layer the potatoes in the base of the baking dish (Photo 9)
🥔 Beef Mince Potato Bake
Next use a vegetable peeler to peel the potatoes, removing the skin. Then use a sharp knife or mandolin to thinly slice the potatoes.
Once done, grease a baking dish with olive oil then spread some of the sliced potatoes into the base of the casserole dish to form a potato layer. You will see what this looks like in photo 8 in the steps above.
Next sprinkle a layer of the cooked mince over the potatoes as shown in the photo below.
- Add a layer of the cooked mince (Photo 9)
- Then top with a potato layer (Photo 10)
- Repeat a mince layer (Photo 11)
- Top with potatoes (Photo 12)
🍳 Layers Of Potato Slice
Once done repeat another sliced potato layer followed by a mince and onion layer. Next top this with a final layer of the sliced potatoes as shown above. Then when ready pour the cream sauce into the baking dish and let it sink into the layers.
Next we cover the dish with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes.
- Pour in the cream sauce (Photo 13)
- Cover and bake for 50 minutes (Photo 14)
- Add the cheese layer (Photo 15)
- Bake for 10 minutes (Photo 16)
Once the initial 50 minutes of cook time is up, use a pair of oven mitts to remove the baking dish from the oven and set it on a heatproof surface. Pull the layer of alfoil off (discard) and then test that the potatoes are cooked through.
The easiest way to do this is by inserting a skewer or toothpick straight down into the base. If it slides in easily with no resistance, the potatoes are cooked, If there is any firm bits return the potato bake to the oven (can be uncovered) and test again after 10 minutes.
Next sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the potatoes and then place the baking dish back into the oven for a further 10 minutes.
During this time the cheese will melt and turn a lovely shade of golden brown.
Once the 10 minutes are up, use oven mitts to remove the baking dish and set it on a heatproof surface. Let it rest for 10 mins (sauces thickens during this time) and then serve! 😉👍.
🍽 Mince Potato Bake Serving Ideas
When it comes to serving your beef mince potato bake you have a wide variety of options to choose from.
You can serve it with boiled greens like I am doing below (seasoned with black pepper) or get even more creative with a side of Crumbed Mushrooms, Roasted Capsicums, Brown Rice Fried Rice or Basmati Fried Rice.
For meaty mains try it alongside the BBQ Lamb Ribs, Marinated Lamb Ribs, Greek Ribs or alongside the Honey Soy Pork Ribs.
Or for a bread side try the Tortilla Garlic Bread, Ciabatta Garlic Bread or the Garlic Pizza Bread.
For a salad side try the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad or Healthy Panzanella Salad.
You will be surprised at how quickly this simple beef mince potato bake turns into meat and 3 or more veg. With the potatoes, garlic, onion and a side of something green we are well on our way to meat and 5 veg!
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftovers of the potato bake in a sealed air tight container. They can be kept in the fridge for 3 days and need to be reheated before being consumed.
How to Reheat
Transfer leftover potato bake from the container onto a plate and cover with cling wrap (optional). Reheat in the microwave using high heat in 1 minute increments until warmed through.
Recipe is not suitable to be frozen as freezing cream sauce based dishes can lead to mixed results.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- Casserole dish: the baking dish I use is 20cm x 30cm (8 x 12 inches). Around that size is perfect, not too much bigger as we do want a layering/pie effect.
- Potato slices: we want to thinly slice the potatoes. If they are too thick they will take longer to cook. So aim for 'thin slices'.
- Cooking oil: grease both the base and the sides of your baking dish. This will help to ensure nothing sticks as well as making clean up an easier process.
- Drain the mince: if your cooked beef has excess liquid in the pan, drain this before adding the mince layers to the baking dish.
- Cheese topping: we want the dish to be uncovered in the final 10 minutes to ensure that the cheese melts and browns.
- Leftovers repurposed: have leftover Savoury Mince? You can use that for the beef mince layers instead of starting from scratch and making your own. Or use it to make the Savoury Mince Pies 😍.
- More of the same: love recipes that use beef mince? Then you might like to try the Beef And Bean Enchiladas, Fettuccine Bolognese, Linguine Bolognese, Beef Mince Sausage Rolls, Pork Mince Fried Rice or the Mince Pasta Bake 😉👍.
- Something a little different: is pork more your thing? Try the Dumpling Noodle Soup, Air Fryer Pork Roast, Thai Minced Pork, Pork Mince Fried Rice, Pork Mince Noodles or the Slow Cooker French Onion Pork Chops.
🤓 Mince Potato Bake FAQ's
Not necessarily. This depends on the recipe. For thinly sliced scalloped potatoes you can add them to the oven uncooked. They will then cook in the cream sauce.
Russet potatoes, sebago potatoes, King Edward, Dutch cream or Nadine potatoes are all good choices!
Cover the potatoes for the initial 50 minute cook period. Then remove the alfoil and bake uncovered for the final 10 minutes whilst browning the cheese layer.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you love to bring together easy meals that keep dinner time inspired and interesting then I have some more ideas for you to try. How about the:
- More beef: French Onion Beef, Baked Rigatoni With Sausage, Savoury Mince Pasta, Minced Beef Stir Fry.
- Family friendly: Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken, Salmon Rice Bake, Chicken And Rice Tray Bake, Baked Chicken Drumsticks And Rice.
- Alternative carb: Roasted Capsicum Pasta Sauce, Fettuccine Alfredo With Tuna, Pork Mince Stir Fry.
- One pan meals: Chorizo Fried Rice, Chorizo Pasta Bake, Mini Enchiladas.
- Different protein: Pulled Lamb, Tuna And Rice Casserole.
- No meat dinner ideas: Slow Cooker Dahl, Polenta Al Forno.
It is time to get our mince potato bake on my friend! You can also find all of my family favourites or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Mince Potato Bake
Ingredients
Cream Sauce
- 2 cups/600ml heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme Note 1
Beef Mince
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced or finely chopped, Note 2
- 500 grams/16 oz beef mince Note 3
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste optional, Note 4
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce optional, also Note 4
Potatoes
- 1kg/2.2 pounds potatoes
Cheese topping
- 1 cup colby cheese grated
Garnish
- parsley stems removed, leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5.
- Cream sauce: add the dried thyme to the heavy cream and stir till consistently mixed together. The set aside.
- Onion: use a knife and cutting board to peel and dice the onion.
- Potatoes: use a vegetable peeler to peel each potato (discard the skins) then use a knife to thinly slice each potato.
- Baking dish: grease a large 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inches) baking dish with olive oil.
- Beef mince: place a large frying pan onto the stove top and turn the heat to high. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Next add the beef mince, salt, pepper and onion. Cook using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps of meat as you go. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce at the end and stir to combine. It will take 8-10 minutes for the beef to cook.
- Layers: spread a layer of the sliced potatoes across the base of the baking dish. Top this with a layer of the cooked beef mince. Then repeat another layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of beef mince. Top the 2nd potato layer with a final layer of the potatoes.
- Combine: next pour the cream sauce into the dish. Cover with tin foil then transfer to the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 50 minutes.
- Cheese topping: after 50 minutes use oven mitts to remove the potato bake from the oven and place it onto a heatproof surface. Take the aluminium foil off and discard. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the dish then use the oven mitts to return the baking dish to the oven. Bake the dish for a further 10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
- To serve: use the oven mitts to again remove the baking dish from the oven and place it onto a heatproof surface. Garnish with chopped parsley then let the dish rest for 10 minutes (sauces thickens during this time). When ready portion onto plates with steamed greens and season with black pepper.
Video
Notes
- Note 1 - Dried thyme: or you can use dried chives, Italian seasoning or parsley.
- Note 2 - Garlic: I use chunky chopped garlic from a jar (keeps things easy). You can also use 1-2 fresh garlic cloves finely chopped or 1 tablespoon of garlic paste.
- Note 3- Beef mince: or use pork mince, lamb mince, chicken mince or ground turkey.
- Note 4 - Tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce: if you want to keep things super simple and straight forward you can omit these 2 ingredients. However! I like to add them as the give the beef mince an extra boost. It takes only a minute or so to add them in and the resulting flavor is worth its weight in 'oomph'.
- Serving size: 6-8 depending on portion size.
Melinda Lucas says
Our family love this recipe! It is easy to make and generous in portions across 4 dinners with some leftover as well. I can see that we will continue to make it again and again.