4mediumpotatoes - russet or Yukon gold, diced to about ½-inch cubes
½cupyellow onion
2tablespoonsbutter - divided
1poundground beef (minced beef)
1tablespoonall purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
1cuplow-fat milk
1½cupscheddar cheese - or another cheese that melts well
1pinchsalt - optional, to taste
1pinchground black pepper - optional, to taste
1pinchpaprika - optional, to taste
Instructions
Heat a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of butter. When butter is hot, add in the onions. Saute for one minute, and then add the potatoes. Stir potatoes to coat, season to taste (using paprika in addition to salt and pepper if you like,) and then cover the pan to allow them to steam as they fry, lifting the lid every few minutes to stir.
Once the potatoes are cooking, melt one tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in one tablespoon of flour to form a roux. Cook for a minute, whisking constantly, and then begin to add the milk a little at a time, whisking well between each addition. Once all the milk is added, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Once potatoes are cooked through (taste a piece to make sure), add the ground beef. Cook and stir the mixture until the beef is brown; this may take a little longer than usual as the pan will be crowded. Season to taste. When the beef is cooked through, stop stirring and turn off the heat. Press the mixture against the bottom of the pan, cover, and allow to sit while you finish the cheese sauce.
Add the cheese to the thickened milk mixture a little at a time, stirring until the cheese has melted and you have a sauce of desirable thickness and cheesy-ness—season to taste, using paprika if you like. Paprika will lend a beautiful color and a mild smoky flavor to the sauce.
Remove the lid from the skillet and pour the cheese sauce over the beef and potato mixture, spreading as evenly as possible. Use a spatula to separate a section and lift it from the pan (it may fall apart a little but should stay mostly intact) to make sure your beef and potatoes have gotten yummy crust on the bottom. If not, you can return the pan to heat for a short period of time, but be mindful that the food doesn’t burn.