Cowboy Casserole

This easy cowboy casserole recipe is the perfect way to feed a hungry crowd! Loaded with Tex-mex flavour, this dish is sure to please.

Are you ready to be the hero of the family dinner table? Have a hankering for some classic comfort food? Whip up this easy cowboy casserole for some Tex-Mex flavour that will satisfy everyone’s hunger.

The Cowboy Casserole is a hearty, flavourful dish that kids and adults alike will love. With a creamy beef filling, decadent cheese, and crunchy – every bite is truly a mouthful!

This dish also has flexibility; you can change things up to suit your tastes or dietary guidelines.

This easy-to-make meal is sure to become a family favourite and provide the perfect blend of delectable taste buds and hearty goodness that your loved ones will rave about. Not only does this dish come together in no time with minimal difficulty, but it also offers up a fresh take on the great American Tex-mex flavours that everyone knows and loves.

So if you’re ready for some unique, tasty grub—grab your ingredients quick as can be and start whisking in some western flare at home!

Why You Will LOVE This Recipe!

• Perfect weeknight family dinner
• All in one meal, no sides required!
• Quick and easy to make
• Simple, easy-to-find ingredients
• Flexible to suit your tastes and needs
• Hearty and filling
• Satisfying variety of flavours and textures
• Can be made ahead
• Freezes well

What Is a Cowboy Casserole?

Cowboy Casserole is a hearty and tasty tex-mex dish usually made with ground beef, beans, corn, onions and cheese, all topped off with tater tots. It’s an easy dish to put together and is an entire meal in itself so no need to plan sides.

It’s perfect for any potluck, picnic or family get-together and always seems to be a hit with everyone!

The beauty of this dish is that you can easily customize it to fit your tastes by adding or substituting different ingredients.

Cowboy Casserole Variations

• Substitute the frozen corn with creamed corn for an even creamier filling.
• Add a mix of peas and carrots to the filling for a tex-mex take on cottage pie.
• A dash or two of hot sauce added to the meat mixture easily heats up the dish for families who like a bit of a kick with their meals.
• Skip the tater tots and use thinly sliced yellow potatoes instead.
• Swap the sour cream for condensed mushroom soup. Personally not a fan of this swap, but I wasn’t raised on condensed mushroom soup based casseroles.
• If you aren’t into the addition of sour cream, try substituting with enchilada sauce.
• For a keto casserole or low carb casserole, switch the tater tots for homemade low carb cauliflower tots, and omit the beans.
• Top the casserole with biscuits instead of tater tots.
• Make a cornbread cowboy casserole by topping the filling with your favourite cornbread batter.
• Get creative with your filling. Add sliced black olives, jalapano, or even a dash of chunky salsa.

Tips for Making the BEST Cowboy Casserole

• Make sure you bake the casserole uncovered so that the tater tots crisp up nicely.
• If you want super crispy tater tots you can bake them ahead of time according to package instructions. Bake the casserole filling covered with foil, then add the tater tots at the point you add the extra cheese.
• Make sure to use lean ground beef and drain off the fat after it has cooked.
• It’s also important to make sure that you don’t overcook the ingredients in the casserole. Otherwise, it could end up dry and unappetizing.
• If you are looking for more heat, feel free to add some diced green chiles or a few dashes of hot sauce.
• Make it a one-pot dinner by cooking the meat mixture in a large dutch oven. Top with your tater tots and transfer straight to the oven.

FAQs

Can this Cowboy Casserole be Prepared in Advance?

The casserole can be prepared through to spreading the filling in the casserole dish up to 24 hours in advance.

Allow the beef mixture to cool to room temperature before covering the baking dish and refrigerating.

When ready to bake, top with the tater tots and bake as directed. If baking straight from the fridge, add another 5-10 minutes to the baking time before adding the cheese.

I do not recommend adding the tater tots until you are ready to bake as they will absorb the liquid from the beef mixture and become soggy.

How to Store Leftover Cowboy Tater Tot Casserole

If you have leftovers from your Cowboy Tater Tot Casserole, the best way to store them is by transferring the casserole into an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 4 days.

To reheat the leftover casserole, preheat oven to 350°F). Place the casserole in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until heated through.

To prevent drying out, add a couple tablespoons of broth to the casserole dish before reheating.

Can this Cowboy Casserole be Frozen?

Yes! This casserole dish can definitely be frozen. I would recommend prepping the dish, baking it, and then allowing it to cool completely before freezing.

To do this, make sure it is tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and then stored in an airtight container or freezer bag.

When ready to eat, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until warmed through, about 20-25 minutes.

Equipment Needed to Make this Cowboy Casserole

Casserole dish – A 13×9 baking dish with a 2 inch height is perfect for this casserole. If you use a smaller casserole you may need to reduce the amount of tater tots to be able to make a single layer.

Skillet – A large non-stick skillet is best here. If you don’t have a large skillet you may want to combine everything together directly in the casserole dish, or transfer to a large bowl to mix the ingredients before transferring to the casserole dish.

About the Ingredients for Cowboy Casserole

Oil – You can use any neutral flavoured oil for cooking the beef. If you are using a non-stick pan then you can even skip the oil.

Beef – Ground beef can be substituted with ground turkey or pork. You can use a beef with higher fat content if necessary, you will just have more fat to drain from the pan.

Aromatics – Fresh onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper season this dish. You can also add a little garlic powder to the mix or substitute the dry seasonings with a packet of taco seasoning.

Rotel – The can of Rotel can be substituted with a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Fire-roasted tomatoes are best. For my fellow Canadians, if you can’t find Rotel at your local grocer then you can also get it from Amazon at a reasonable price.

Black beans – Black beans can be substituted with pinto beans.

Corn – Frozen corn can be substituted with canned or fresh corn.

Sour cream – I prefer higher fat sour cream but you can use light or fat free sour cream here if you want a lighter dish.

Cheese – Cheddar cheese can be substituted with mild or medium cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack. Be sure to grate your own cheese fresh for the best results as store bought shredded cheddar cheese has additives that keep the cheese from clumping, which unfortunately, does affect the texture and flavour.

Tater tots – 32 oz is 900 grams, so Canadians will either need to make do with the 800 gram bag or go for the 1.8 kg bag and safe the remainder for the next time you make this casserole.

Looking for More Easy Tex-Mex Recipes?

This John Wayne Casserole recipe is easy to make and results in a hearty, comforting casserole dish with loads of south-west flavour!

This easy Mexican ground beef casserole recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal! It’s a hearty, comforting, and delicious casserole.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole is a fun twist on the traditional chicken and noodle casserole. It’s easy to make, and full of Tex-Mex flavours!

How to Make Cowboy Casserole

Yields: 6-8 Serving | Prep time: 10 Minutes | Cook time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼  teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel)
• 1 (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups frozen corn
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
• 1 (32-ounce) bag tater tots

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon until browned and no longer pink, around 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat from the pan, leaving 1-2 tablespoons.

Add the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften and begin to turn translucent, around 3-4 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cook an additional minute, or until the spices are fragrant.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the Rotel, black beans, and corn. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the corn is heated through.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar and the sour cream until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread in an even layer.

Top with a single layer of tater tots.

Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the remaining cheese. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Let the casserole rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.