Loaded Ground Beef & Potatoes Skillet

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?