This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
This ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes recipe is quick, easy, and cheap, passed down from my grandma to my mom and now served to my own kids. I’ve been eating this simple but deliciously savory and filling meal my entire life, and it’s so affordable to make!
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Ground beef with gravy (or maybe you know it as hamburger gravy?) is one of those childhood-throwback, ultimate-comfort-food, transports-me-instantly kind of recipes. It was passed down from my grandmother to my mom, from my mom to me, and now I’m making it for my own kids. I mean, a giant bowl of meat-and-potatoes smothered with a rich, savory gravy? How could the whole family not like it?
- Not only is this recipe easy, satisfying, and delicious, it’s also super budget-friendly. With a couple of simple swaps, you can make it even easier and even more budget-friendly, too! Just use instant mashed potatoes instead of making your own, and use a can or two of store-bought beef gravy instead of making gravy from scratch. In fact, my mom pretty much always used canned gravy!
- Because ground beef and gravy are so basic and versatile, you can serve them with pretty much anything. A bed of creamy, fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes is a non-negotiable in my opinion, but you can replace them with rice, noodles, or mashed cauliflower if you want. Need a little green on your plate, too? Asparagus, broccoli, green beans, even Brussels sprouts will all comokenebt this dish really well.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Mushrooms would be a great addition to this ground beef and gravy dish, making it almost like a beef stroganoff of sorts. Just add the mushrooms, halved or diced, to the skillet when you add the onions and beef broth.
- If you keep your ground beef in the freezer and forget to take it out early enough to defrost, don’t worry. It can go in the skillet frozen, and it’ll turn out just fine! Just flip the frozen ground beef over periodically and break it up as it thaws.
- Gravy’s pretty forgiving. Too thick? Add a little more broth. Not thick enough? Simmer a few minutes longer or add a touch more cornstarch. Make too much? Oh, who am I kidding? You can never make too much gravy.
- Don’t overmix your mashed potatoes or they’ll turn gluey. Once you add the butter-milk mixture, stir just until combined and smooth—overworking the potatoes breaks down the starches, creating a sticky, gummy texture instead of light and fluffy. If you want super smooth potatoes, use a potato ricer instead of a masher, but still mix gently once you add the liquid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of potato?
Absolutely! Russet potatoes are classic for their fluffy texture, but Yukon golds make super creamy mashed potatoes with a buttery flavor. Red potatoes work too, though they’ll be a bit waxier.
How do I make this recipe in advance?
You can make both components ahead of time! The ground beef gravy actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together. The mashed potatoes are best made fresh, but you can make them a few hours ahead and keep them warm in a slow cooker on the “warm” setting with a little extra butter and milk.
Can I freeze ground beef and gravy?
Yes! The ground beef and gravy freezes beautifully for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Mashed potatoes don’t freeze as well (they can get grainy), so make those fresh when you’re ready to serve.
What can I serve this with besides mashed potatoes?
This versatile gravy is delicious over egg noodles, white rice, biscuits, or even mashed cauliflower for a low-carb option. Some folks even love it on thick-cut, toasted bread!
How do I make the gravy thicker or thinner?
Too thick? Just whisk in more beef broth, a tablespoon at a time. Too thin? Let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes, or whisk in another small cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water) and cook for 2 minutes.
More Easy Family Dinner Recipes
- Marry Me Chicken (Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)
- Whole30 Fried Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowl with Gravy
- Egg Roll in a Bowl Meal Prep (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
- Hibachi Steak with Fried Rice and Vegetables
- Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Mississippi Chicken Pot Roast
- Southwest Ground Beef Bowl with Cottage Cheese Queso
- Salmon and Veggies Sheet Pan Meal with Hot Honey and Yogurt Sauce
- Easy, Cheesy Mexican Rice Casserole
- One Pan Chicken and Veggies
- Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole (Just Like Mom Made!)
- Chicken Stroganoff
Easy Ground Beef and Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes
Quick, easy, and super budget-friendly, this satisfying recipe has been passed down through generations of my family. It's the epitome of comfort food!
servings
Equipment
- medium pot
- Small saucepan or small microwaveable bowl
- 2 whisks
- Potato masher or fork
- Small bowl
- Large skillet
- Large wooden spoon
Ingredients
For the Mashed Potatoes
- water
- 1 tablespoon salt more or less to taste
- 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces; or Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
For the Ground Beef and Gravy
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup beef broth low-sodium if desired
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ½ cups beef broth low-sodium if desired
- ½ cup chopped white onion approximately 1 small onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ¼-½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
For the Mashed Potatoes
- Fill medium pot with water, then add 1 tablespoon salt and stir to incorporate. Once incorporated, add 2 pounds russet potatoes and place pot on stovetop over medium-high heat.
- Once water begins to boil rapidly, set timer and boil potatoes 5 to 8 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily pierced with tines of fork.
- While potatoes boil, add 3 tablespoons butter and ½ cup whole milk to small saucepan. Place saucepan on stovetop over medium heat. Heat mixture, whisking occasionally, until butter is completely melted.
- When potatoes are fork-tender, carefully drain all liquid from pot, then place pot on cool stovetop burner.
- Use potato masher or fork to mash potatoes to desired consistency, then gradually stir in butter-milk mixture, making sure to incorporate all liquid into mashed potatoes.
- Once combined, season potatoes with ½ teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir well to incorporate, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set potatoes aside until ready to serve.
For the Ground Beef and Gravy
- Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ¼ cup beef broth to small bowl. Whisk ingredients together until smooth and fully combined. Set aside.
- Heat large skillet over medium heat. When pan is warm, add 1 pound ground beef. Cook and crumble beef until no longer pink, then drain any liquid from pan and discard.
- Add 1 ½ cups beef broth, ½ cup chopped white onion, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼-½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to skillet with ground beef. Stir gently to incorporate ingredients, then simmer uncovered 5 to 10 minutes or until onion is tender.
- When onion has softened, slowly add cornstarch mixture to skillet, whisking gently until fully incorporated. Increase heat under skillet and bring mixture to boil. Once boiling, cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until liquid has thickened to form gravy.
To Serve
- Divide mashed potatoes evenly between serving bowls. Top bed of mashed potatoes with ground beef and gravy. Serve warm with extra gravy if desired.
- Ground Beef: For a lighter dish, use lean ground beef or even ground turkey or ground chicken. Turkey and chicken won’t have as much flavor but you can offset that with the broth and seasonings, or even add bouillon cubes.
- Mashed Potatoes: To make this recipe even easier, use instant mashed potatoes instead of homemade.
- Gravy: You can use 1-2 cans of beef gravy rather than making your own. That’s usually what my mom did!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 507calProtein: 30gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 2883mgPotassium: 1460mgTotal Carbs: 49gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 46gVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 5mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Leave A Review
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
My husband and I love this recipe. Simple but so good.
We’re so glad it’s a favorite! Thanks for sharing, Lee.
A delicious, easy to follow recipe! I will be making this again. I paired it with baked zucchini and it was the perfect dinner.
Ooh, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Anna!
Such an easy weeknight meal. Kids loved it and it was perfect for the chilly weather. I added mushrooms because we had some. It was a nice addition.
This with a salad and we hit all the food groups.
Ooh, yum! We’re so glad everyone loved it!
I made this tonight and my very picky husband LOVED it! This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!
Ooh, picky husband loving it is a big win! We’re so happy both of you enjoyed it!
This is almost exactly what my Scottish Nana made, she called it mince and potatoes. She used beef broth with the corn starch to make the gravy. This is a good warm quick meal and I really recommend it!
Sandra
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Sandra!
Great recipe and so easy to make. I’m lazy so I buy the Bob Evan’s ready made mashed potatoes to make it easier. I used to make this a long time ago and forgot about it. It is delicious!! I’m making it tomorrow and I’m using the premade garlic mashed potatoes with it. Can’t wait!! Thanks! And I can’t imagine how the other lady messed this up since it’s so simple.
We’re so glad you love it! Thanks for sharing, Martha! 😊
Hands down, the worst recipe I’ve ever made. The weird liquidy sludge this made was so bizarre. Not at all gravy texture. I’m so confused how this has so many positive reviews.
Oh no! It definitely shouldn’t have made a “weird liquidy sludge”. I’m so sorry that was your experience, KW! I’d love to help troubleshoot this recipe if I can, but without more information (and without having been there with you) it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong. Did you follow the recipe just as it’s written? Was everything else alright up until the point you made the gravy? Did you have any problems getting the cornstarch to fully incorporate into the beef broth in the bowl? After adding the cornstarch slurry to the skillet, how long did you let it boil?
Sounds like YOU messed the recipe up. No need to be rude to her about your own failure. It’s always so weird to me when a person so obviously messes up a recipe and then tries to blame the person that wrote it!
This is comfort food 101! So good, easy to make, and there’s even enough for another dinner! Yum…
So glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing, Marti!
I made this recipe, this evening for supper. I made it exactly as shown. To be honest, I found it lacking in taste. Not sure I would make it again
We’re so sorry it didn’t meet your expectations!
Absolutely delicious, I have this in my rotation. Comfort food at its best.
Thanks for a great recipe
So glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing, Deb!
I’m from Nova Scotia, Canada and either have this on a bed of potatoes or you can throw it between two pieces of bread and make a hot hamburger sandwich. Receipe is basically the same as mine and it’s so good!
That sounds delicious!