No Onion No Garlic Potato Casserole is a Greek-inspired meal that I learned from my grandma. My grandma isn’t Greek, but her sister-in-law is. When my grandma’s brother married his Greek wife, Ida, they spent some time living in Croatia. She often talked about a secret Hamburger Potato Casserole recipe. My grandma got along very well with Ida, and they cooked together a lot. Ida felt comfortable enough to share this family secret with her.
Ida taught my grandma how to make this meal, and my grandma taught me. Even today, we still cook Ida’s No Onion No Garlic Hamburger Potato Casserole often.
My No Onion No Garlic Potato Casserole is completely safe if you have an allium allergy or intolerance. It’s a low FODMAP, gallstone diet, acid reflux, and low cholesterol-friendly recipe. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!
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Ingredients
Potatoes: it can be Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, choose your favortie
Ground meat: choose your favorite ground meat. It tasted delicious with ground beef, turkey, pork, and chicken. No matter which one you choose it will taste wonderful. I would suggest using lean ground meat, especially if you have gallstones or acid reflux.
Low fat milk: if you have IBS, and follow a low FODMAP diet, then use lactose free milk, or skip the milk from the recipe.
Low-fat sour cream: you can substitute with low-fat yogurt if you have acid reflux or following a gallbladder diet. If you have IBS and follow a low FODMAP diet, substitute sour cream with lactose-free Greek yogurt.
Egg
Parsley flakes: it will provide slightly peppery taste to the meal
Salt: it will enrich the taste of the meal
Black pepper: if you can’t eat pepper, you can omit it, it won’t affect the recipe.
Cooking oil
Equipment
- big pot
- skillet
- baking dish ( I use 5’’x7’’)
- paring knife
- cutting board
- wooden spoon
- small bowl
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
- kitchen scale
How To Make No Onion No Garlic Potato Casserole?
Here is a quick overview of how to make allium-free Hamburger Casserole. Check out the full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below.
- Cook the potatoes with the skin on, then peel and slice them into thin rounds.
- Brown the ground meat.
- Spray the bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray, then layer half of the potatoes evenly across the bottom.
- Add the sauteed ground meat over the potatoes, then top with the remaining potatoes.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake.
- Whisk the egg mixture and pour it evenly over the casserole.
- Bake it until golden brown.
Is This No Onion No Garlic Potato Casserole Suitable for a Low FODMAP Diet?
If you have IBS and follow a low FODMAP diet I suggest substituting sour cream with lactose-free Greek yogurt because Greek yogurt is a safe low FODMAP ingredient.
If you can’t tolerate Greek yogurt, beat 2 or 3 eggs with a pinch of salt, then grate about 4 to 5 oz (110–140 g) of cheddar, mozzarella, or another semi-hard cheese, and mix it with the eggs. Top the casserole with this, and bake it as instructed.
This recipe calls for milk, so I recommend using lactose-free milk or skipping the milk altogether.
Can I Enjoy Potato Casserole If I Have Gallstones?
I have gallstones, and I can safely enjoy this meal regularly without triggering my gallbladder.
My only suggestion is to skip the sour cream and replace it with low-fat yogurt. Use lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken for a lighter, gallstone-friendly option.
Can I Eat This Casserole If I Have Acid Reflux?
If you have acid reflux or follow a GERD-friendly diet, you can safely enjoy my Meat and Potato Casserole.
My only suggestion is to use lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
Can I Eat Potato Casserole If I Have High Cholesterol And Following Low Cholesterol Diet?
Hamburger Potato Casserole is a delicious low-cholesterol recipe, and you can make it even healthier with two simple steps.
- When choosing ground meat, opt for lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
- Instead of sour cream, use low-fat yogurt. With this, you will be able to enjoy a delicious meal that is also a low cholesterol diet recipe.
What Is The Egg Mixture, And How To Substitute It?
When I originally published this recipe on April 28, 2023, I received many questions about the egg mixture. In this updated version, I’ll answer the most common questions, and share tips on how to make the egg mixture even better and how to substitute it if needed.
Egg Mixture Explanation: it is really easy. Just crack the egg, add a pinch or two of salt, beat it. Then add sour cream or yogurt, mix it until combined, and pour over the top of the casserole.
How Much Salt Should I Add to the Egg Mixture? I suggest adding about as much as you would to scrambled eggs, but two pinches work well too. It all depends on your taste buds, and how much you like to feel the meal salty. In case you are following a low sodium diet, I suggest using only a pinch or two.
Egg Mixture Substitution Ideas
There are several different egg mixture substitutions I’ve tested, and they all taste delicious. I’ll update this list as I create and test new substitutions. If you have ideas, I’d love to hear them!
- Egg + cheese: beat 2 or 3 eggs with a pinch of salt, and then grate around 4 to 5 oz (110g to 140g) of any semi-hard cheese, and mix it with the beaten egg. Top the casserole with this, and bake it as instructed.
- Just cheese: grate about 4 to 5 oz (110g to 140g) of any semi-hard cheese, and sprinkle it on the top of the casserole. Then, preheat the broiler, and broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Broiling keeps the casserole juicy and moist. I don’t recommend baking it when using only cheese on top.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese: cSlice the mozzarella and place it over the top of the casserole. Then preheat the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Broiling keeps the casserole juicy and moist.
- Sour cream: Spread the sour cream over the top, then preheat the broiler and cook until the casserole is golden brown. Broiling keeps the casserole juicy and moist.
How To Make It Dairy-Free?
You can make my Hamburger Potato Casserole dairy-free very easily. Here are a few simple suggestions:
- Low-fat milk: substitute low-fat milk with lactose-free milk, or simply skip it.
- Sour Cream in the Egg Mixture: the best dairy-free option is to top the casserole with lactose-free cheese or mix eggs with grated lactose-free cheese. You can read more about this in the section above.
How Can I Bring More Heat To This Meal?
I can’t eat anything spicy, and even black pepper can upset my digestion. My husband has a sensitive stomach, so anything spicy for him is also out of the question. However, if you would like to bring more heat to this meal, I suggest dried chile peppers, crushed red peppers, cayenne pepper, or crushed jalapeno pepper. You can also choose your favorite spices that you use to bring the heat to the meal.
What Kind Of Herbs Can I Use With The Parsley Flakes?
I like the version with parsley flakes because it has a nice, gentle flavor, and everyone usually loves it. It’s also the version Ida taught my grandma to make, so using only parsley flakes is the authentic, original version of this recipe. However, sometimes when I cook this Meat and Potato Casserole for my family, I like to add more herbs and experiment with different seasonings.
When adding different herbs, take care of the amounts because some herbs have stronger flavor, and they can easily overpower the dish (think rosemary, thyme, dill).
I wrote an article about my favorite 14 allium-free spices, and the majority of the herbs I listed there I use with this recipe. In the article I mention mint, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and nutmeg. I never made potato casserole with these spices because I don’t think it would work in this recipe. Anyway, if you’d like to explore more herb ideas for this recipe, check out my article or ask me in the comments below.
How To Store Ground Beef And Potato Casserole?
Refrigerator
You can store ground meat and potato casserole in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer
You can freeze ground meat and potato casserole in an air-tight container for up to 2 months.
Garnish for this meal
Garnish can elevate how the food looks, and it can make it look more appetizing. However, garnish can be a spot where alliums are hiding. In this recipe, I garnished my plate with fresh parsley.
Allium-free Ground Beef and Potato Casserole without onion without garlic
Ingredients
- 22 oz potatoes 625g
- 1 lb. ground meat 450g
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- ½ cup low-fat milk 120ml
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup low-fat sour cream 180g
- salt & pepper to taste
- cooking oil: enough to cover the bottom of your skillet (I use about 1 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Put potatoes (with skin on) in a pot filled with cold water. Add ½ tablespoon of salt. Cook them for about 25 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Peel the cooked potatoes by pulling off the skins with your fingers, then slice them into ½-inch (1 cm) rounds.
- While the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground meat and saute with a wooden spoon, stirring frequently to break up large chunks.
- When the meat is no longer pink, add salt, pepper and parsley flakes. Stir to combine, and continue sauteing, stirring frequently, for about 2 more minutes.
- Spray the baking dish with cooking spray, or brush it lightly with cooking oil. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180℃).
- Cover the bottom of the baking dish with half of the potato slices. Spread the sauteed ground meat over the potatoes, then top with the remaining potatoes. Pour the low-fat milk evenly over the top layer, and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake the Potato Casserole for about 20 minutes.
- While the casserole is baking, whisk together 1 egg, a pinch of salt, and the sour cream or yogurt. This will be the egg mixture.
- Remove the Potato Casserole from the oven, discard the aluminum foil, and pour the egg mixture evenly over the top.
- Turn up the heat of your oven to 390°F (200℃), and return the casserole to the oven for about 8 to 10 or until the top is golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Low FODMAP Diet: instead of sour cream, use lactose-free Greek yogurt. If you can’t eat Greek yogurt, check the section above for Low FODMAP substitutions for this recipe. Also, replace low-fat milk with lactose-free milk.
- Gallbladder diet: use low-fat yogurt instead of sour cream, and use lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
- Acid reflux: use lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
- Low-Cholesterol Diet: instead of sour cream, use low-fat yogurt, and choose lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
- If you have more questions about a specific diet, check the paragraphs above. I tried my best to explain what ingredients to choose for which diet. If you still have questions, feel free to ask in the comments below.
Need more recipe ideas?
Check out these recipes:
- Cauliflower casserole
- Juicy Pork Tenderloin in Mushroom Sauce
- Turkey Pot Roast
- Ground Meat & Sweet Potato Skillet
- Zoodles Bolognese
If you need more recipes, check out my meal plan! There you will find 20 unpublished no onion no garlic recipes! Get exclusive recipes without onion & garlic and cheer up your dinner time with delicious meals! Check the packages here.
