Combine beef, broccoli, and potatoes with cheese sauce for a hotdish casserole that is a perfect weekend meal when the weather turns cold.
Jump to RecipeWhen the weather turns cold I enjoy making delicious casseroles, such as this Broccoli, Beef, and Potato
I’ve also heard of similar casseroles called a “man meal” or “poor man’s steak and potatoes.” I don’t know why it’s a “man meal”. I like it and I’m not a man! But, poor man’s steak and potatoes makes me laugh because I can see how that applies!
For this meal, you are layering each of the key ingredients and covering with a delicious cheddar cheese sauce. Since I don’t like to buy pre-packaged foods, the first time we made this I tried to shred my own potatoes. It didn’t work very well because I wasn’t able to get all of the moisture out and the casserole was mushy.
The only downside to this meal is the number of dirty dishes it creates. But, since we always have leftovers for at least one more meal, sometimes two, it ends up being worth it in the end.
Preparing everything takes about an hour, then it has to bake for about 40 minutes. So, this is a meal I suggest for the weekend when you have a little more time in the kitchen. I like to make it on Sunday evening so we have leftovers for the busy weekdays.

Broccoli, Beef, and Potato Hotdish Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs broccoli (cut into 1-inch florets)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups milk
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 4 cups shredded potatoes (frozen)
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450F. Cut the broccoli into one-inch pieces and spread out on a baking sheet. Pour a bit of oil on the broccoli. Stir it around until it’s coated. Roast the broccoli for about 15 minutes. Turn once halfway through, until it’s just soft and browned in spots.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, warm one tbsp of oil. Add the beef and onion. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion is soft, stirring frequently. This takes about 10-12 minutes.

Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp of the salt.

Remove the beef from the heat and layer the beef mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

Layer the broccoli on top of the meat mixture in the baking dish.

In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, whisk the milk and cornstarch together. Bring it to a boil, whisking often to prevent scalding, until it is bubbling and starts to thicken.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the frozen potatoes, egg, pepper, and 1/4 tsp of salt.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese, 3/4 tsp of salt, and turmeric. Stir until the cheese has completely melted and mixed into the milk.

Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the meat and broccoli in the baking dish.

Sprinkle the potatoes over the cheese sauce. Spray the entire top with cooking spray.

Bake the casserole (at 450F) until it is bubbling and the potatoes begin to brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it stand for at least 10 minutes to cool. Sprinkle with paprika before serving warm.

Broccoli, Beef, and Potato Hotdish Leftovers
Storage: Cover leftover hotdish and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
Reheating: For best results, reheat some of the hotdish in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. If you need to thin it out a bit, add a small amount of milk or water.
Freezing: The hotdish should freeze well as long as it is in a freezer-safe container. Keep for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator one day before reheating.

Recipe
Originally Published On: November 26, 2017
Last Updated On: June 30, 2023

Broccoli, Beef, and Potato Hotdish
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs broccoli (cut into 1-inch florets)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups milk
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 4 cups shredded potatoes (frozen)
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F
- Toss broccoli with 1 tbsp oil in a large bowl
- Spread out on baking sheet and roast, stirring once halfway through, until just soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat
- Add beef and onion and cook until beef is browned and onion is soft, about 10-12 minutes
- Stir in worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp salt
- Remove from heat and layer in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish
- When broccoli is done roasting, layer on top of the beef in the baking dish
- Whisk milk and cornstarch in a large saucepan
- Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking often, until bubbling and thickened, about 6-8 minutes
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese, 3/4 tsp salt, and turmeric until cheese is melted
- Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top of the meat and broccoli
- Combine potatoes, egg, pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl
- Sprinkle evenly over the casserole
- Coat the top with cooking spray
- Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the potatoes are beginning to brown, about 40 minutes
- Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving to cool
- Sprinkle with paprika
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Ah! Broccoli! I love broccoli so much! Little mini trees of happiness! This recipe looks delish and I cannot wait to give it a go!
I tell my boys all the time that they are eating the trees when they eat broccoli! They think it’s funny and it gets them to eat them easier.
Great recipe. Doable since the ingredients are easy for me. Might try this. My 4-yo looooves broccoli.
It takes quite a few dishes to make, but the ingredients are simple and it comes out so yummy!
I’m a casserole mama for sure! This one is totally in my wheel house and I can’t wait to try it!
Casseroles just make everything easier!
Well, this sounds just perfect for the cold days ahead! Plus, I’m sure this meal is a total crowd pleaser- don’t think you can’t go wrong with a plate of cheesy potatoes! Yum!
You are so right! Cheese and potatoes are two of my favorite foods!
I’m really big on casseroles in the winter. It’s an easy dish to make and you can freeze the leftovers!!
We don’t have a very long winter here usually, so I make these types of meals as much as I can as soon as it does start to cool down!
This sounds so good for the cold months! I bet even my little one would eat it
My boys eat it! They aren’t always big fans of broccoli, but sometimes they don’t notice they are getting a bite of it. If I remind them it looks like they are eating trees that helps… sometimes!
I love meals like this, though I have never heard of it called a hotdish, it’s always just been a casserole. This is perfect for these cold days and leftovers for the week!
When I was looking up the difference, I found that a hotdish is a casserole that contains meat, starch, and vegetables! So, it is a casserole, just a specific type of casserole 🙂
Yum. I’m throwing a get together this weekend and I think I found what I will be making for it. Thank you.
It’s a great meal for a crowd because it makes a lot but it’s also very filling so people won’t be eating too much at once.
Long live the humble hotdish! I don’t do broccoli, BUT my hubby and girls love it – and Hubby would eat beef daily if he could – so I will share this recipe with them for the next time I’m away at dinner time!
My boys tend to pick out the broccoli. I haven’t tried it, but you could probably make it without the broccoli, too.
You had me at broccoli and cheese. I would probably add some chicken to this dish after trying it the original way but this looks absolutely delish!
That’s a great idea! Chicken would probably be really good in here, too. Just some shredded chicken or even rotisserie would go well I think.
I love any recipe that requires layers of cheese! So fun!
I agree, I love cheese so anything with a lot of it in there is a winner for me!
Ok this looks delicious on a cold winter day. I love cheese sauce and potatoes hash so I could def eat this meal everyday 🙂
It’s a perfect casserole for the cooler months. It’s nice and warm and totally comfort food with all those potatoes and cheese.
I’m such a fussy eater but this is something a lot of my family would really love!
I can be a picky eater, too, but I really like this recipe! I’m not much of a veggies person, but I like the broccoli in here with all the cheese on it.
This is a hot dish I could get into. I love the look of it. And anything to help my daughter eat more veggies is a good thing in my book. I think she would love this.
My boys will sometimes eat the broccoli in this. If they don’t see it. They pull it aside but then I remind them it’s like eating little trees and can sometimes get a few more pieces in them!
I need to show this to the hubs! He is “bulking up” so he should probably eat this ENTIRE recipe, right? LOL! It sounds amazing so it definitely wouldn’t be a struggle!!
There’s definitely a lot of protein in it, and that’s good for “bulking up”, right?
This looks super delicious! I’m going to try this although I’m trying to quit beef for environmental reasons.
I understand, we are trying to lower our meat consumption here, too. If it’s only beef you are avoiding, someone else suggested chicken and, though I haven’t tried it, I think it would go really well in this recipe, too.
oh my! This looks soooo delicious!!! I would love to make it, can’t wait.
It takes a bit of work, but so worth it. It’s such a great meal!
OH, this is so cool, I liked the recipe. The problem is, I don’t get enough time to cook on an item. I basically, bookmark your site and later, when I get time, I will try to make this happen. Thanks for worth sharing…!
I understand, this one does take a while to make. But it’s so yummy and the leftovers make great lunch and dinner for the rest of the week!
This looks super delicious and easy to make. I love eating broccoli, so I have to try this!
It takes quite a few pans to make, but the cooking part is pretty easy. The cheese sauce goes so well over the broccoli!