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+ servings
Overhead view of a bowl of ground beef and gravy on top of fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes.

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!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Yield:4 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
  • ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
  • 2 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the Ground Beef and Gravy

Instructions

For the Mashed Potatoes

  • Fill medium pot with water and salt well. Heat pot over medium-high heat until water boils rapidly, then add cut potatoes. Boil potatoes 7 to 8 minutes or until potatoes can be easily pierced with tines of fork.
  • While potatoes boil, add butter and milk to small saucepan. Heat saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until butter is completely melted. Alternately, add butter and milk to microwave-safe bowl. Microwave ingredients in 30-second bursts, whisking well between each, until butter is fully melted.
  • When potatoes are fork-tender, carefully drain all liquid from pot. Return pot to stovetop to rest on unused burner.
  • Use potato masher or fork to mash potatoes to desired consistency. Gradually stir in butter-milk mixture, making sure to incorporate all liquid into mashed potatoes. Once combined, season potatoes with garlic powder, salt, and 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 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 ground beef. Cook and crumble beef until no longer pink, then drain any liquid from pan and discard.
  • Add 1 ½ cups beef broth, chopped onion, garlic powder, salt, and 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.

Notes

  • 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!

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1serving | Calories: 595kcal | Protein: 27g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 1487mg | Potassium: 1406mg | Total Carbs: 49g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Net Carbs: 46g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 4mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik