This easy, healthy, and flavorful dinner recipe is made with basic pantry ingredients in about 30 minutes, yet will impress family and friends with its presentation. Add a salad and dinner is done!
Cajun beef on spiced potatoes is a simple and family favorite weeknight main dish that’s been featured on our menus been for many years.
It’s a quick recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes and uses ingredients that are in most of our fridges and pantries. There are no fancy cooking techniques and the potatoes are broiled to a crispy goodness while the topping simmers.
Plus, it tastes – and looks – so good no one would ever guess how inexpensive it is. In my area I can purchase the ingredients for less than $7.00 for the whole recipe that serves four.
This is healthy, real food at its simple best: using seasonings to amp up the flavor of inexpensive vegetables and meat into a dish everyone will want you to make again.
With a green salad, you’ve got an entire meal for under $10 for four people – pretty sweet, isn’t it?
Cajun Beef on Spiced Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- ground beef (turkey, chicken, and pork work, too)
- onion
- canned diced tomatoes
- minced garlic
- Cajun seasoning
- salt and pepper
- potatoes
- yogurt or sour cream
Supplies
- 10 inch or larger skillet
- broiler pan or cookie sheet with a rack
- small bowl, wooden spoon and measuring cups and spoons
Directions
There are three simple steps to this easy recipe:
- Make topping in a skillet with the meat, vegetables and seasonings.
- While that is cooking, slice, season, and broil the potatoes.
- Mix up the creamy topping as the potatoes broil.
I think it’s the potatoes that really elevates this dish above normal “meat and potato” recipes. When sliced thin, pricked with a fork, and sprinkled with some of the Cajun seasoning before being broiled, come out tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.
Mmmm…can you tell they are my favorite part?
Serving Cajun Beef on Spiced Potatoes
To serve, you arrange 4 to 5 of the crispy, spiced potatoes on each plate, add a quarter of the tomato-meat mixture to the side and top that with a spoonful of spiced yogurt.
It’s a fun presentation that will impress your family even though it was quick, easy, and inexpensive to make.
And then, who knows – you might be making it for years to come, too!
What if I don’t have Cajun seasoning? What can I substitute?
You can easily make up a quick Cajun seasoning to have on hand for this recipe as well as others (it stores for a year).
Here’s the dried seasoning and herb mix I use – stir these together well and keep in a sealed glass jar:
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoons salt or to taste
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
If you don’t want to make your own, you can use any seasoning blend for this recipe – it just won’t be “Cajun” then, lol.
Cajun Beef on Spiced Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef*
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 14- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
- 2-4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 large potatoes, unpeeled
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Brown meat in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion towards the end and cook until the onion is translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, 1½ teaspoons of the minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue simmering for 5 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, preheat an oven broiler and prepare potatoes by cutting them into 1/4" slices lengthwise and pierce each potato with a fork, placing them in a single layer on a broiler pan (or a baking sheet fitted with a rack). Brush the slices with olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons more of the Cajun seasoning (to taste).
- Broil the slices 3" to 6" from heat for about 8 to 10 minutes (until starting to brown), then turn the potatoes and cook until browned and tender when pierced, another 5-8 minutes, depending on thickness.
- While the potatoes are broiling, prepare the topping by combining the yogurt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.
- To Serve: on four plates arrange 4-5 potato slices to one side, fanned out. Divide the meat mixture between the plates, mounding it next to the potatoes. Top each mound of meat and vegetables with a spoonful of the yogurt mixture.
Notes
Nutrition
Sue says
Hi Jamie, I made this last night for dinner, it was a hit!! So simple and quick too, I followed the recipe exactly…except, (you knew I would say that:))just added some shredded cheese to the potatoes before adding the beef…my hubby loved it, will definitely make again, and is special enough for company too.
Jami says
So glad you liked this, Sue – I’ve always said it’s a sleeper hit here on the blog. 🙂
Sounds like a good addition, too!
Kathy says
I made the Cajun beef and potatoes and it was amazing!
Jami says
Glad you liked this, Kathy! I think it’s one of the best on the site, though it’s a hidden gem. 🙂
Nikki (Coupon Cookin') says
This looks great! What a healthy recipe-thanks for sharing!
Jenny says
This looks yummy! I am always looking for new ways to serve potatoes.
Shannon says
My husband is a meat and potatoes man. He would love this!
Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says
Maureen- I used turkey which did not need to be drained. I think it’s up to you if you want to drain- if it has a lot of juice that you don’t want in the sauce, then drain away. 😉
Maureen says
Jami, do you drain the beef after it’s browned? I did not see it mentioned.