Hearty, cheesy, and bacon-loaded — all in one skillet!
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4–6
📝 Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef (93/7 or whatever’s on sale)
20 small red or gold potatoes, thinly sliced
4 strips bacon, chopped
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 cups skim milk (trust the process — it works)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp dry mustard powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper, to taste
Green onions, chopped (optional, for topping)
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Preheat the Oven
Heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2️⃣ Cook the Bacon
In a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron works best), cook chopped bacon until crispy.
Transfer to paper towels to drain, leaving drippings in the skillet.
3️⃣ Brown the Beef
Add ground beef to skillet with bacon drippings.
Break apart while cooking; season with mustard powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
Cook until no longer pink.
4️⃣ Layer the Ingredients
Push beef to one side of skillet.
Layer potatoes → beef → potatoes → beef → potatoes on top.
Pour milk evenly over the layers.
Sprinkle cheese over the top.
5️⃣ Bake
Place skillet in oven; bake for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden and bubbly.
If still liquidy, bake an extra 10–15 minutes.
6️⃣ Finish & Serve
Let cool for 5 minutes (it will be molten hot!).
Top with crispy bacon and green onions before serving.
💡 Tips & Variations
Veggie Boost: Add a layer of sautéed onions, peppers, or mushrooms between the potatoes.
Extra Creamy: Swap half the skim milk for heavy cream.
Cheese Twist: Try pepper jack for a spicy kick.
If you want, I can make you a “one-pan meal prep” freezer version of this recipe so you can bake from frozen. Would you like me to put that together?