Lunch: Potato and Ground Beef Gratin

Comfort food at its finest! Don’t pass on this casserole of beef and potatoes in a creamy Cheddar sauce.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 cups milk
3 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese (12 oz)
6 medium white potatoes (2 1/2 lb), peeled, thinly sliced (6 cups)

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 °F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In 10-inch skillet, cook beef, salt and pepper over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in thyme.
Stir milk into onion mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted.
Spread half of the potatoes in baking dish. Top with beef; spread remaining potatoes over beef. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes.
Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over potatoes. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes longer or until top is brown and bubbly and potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

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