Cowboy Casserole is a filling dinner made with seasoned floor beef, cheese and corn in a cream sauce topped with crispy spherical tater tots. A comforting fave!
A FAMILY FILLING CASSEROLE
This cowboy casserole has a enjoyable identify and is straightforward to make! should you’re curious as to the place the identify got here from, I’m not fairly positive. However, my finest guess is that it’s as a result of it’s a hearty and filling sufficient meal to fulfill even a hungry cowboy after a protracted day of labor. Like most casseroles, it seems to be like a pile of slop, proper? Ha! However these are usually those with the very best style in my view!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:Â
You possibly can totally assemble the casserole with out including the crispy crowns, cowl it tightly, and refrigerate it for as much as 24 hours. When able to bake, take away it from the fridge, add the crispy crowns on prime, and bake as directed, including a couple of further minutes, if wanted, because it’s beginning chilly.
If you wish to prep it even additional forward, you’ll be able to assemble and freeze the casserole (once more, with out the crispy crowns) for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, add the crispy crowns, and bake as directed till scorching and bubbly with a golden, crispy topping.
You possibly can add chopped bell peppers or mushrooms when you’re cooking the meat.
When you like a contact of warmth in your casseroles, that’s completely attainable. You possibly can add chopped up jalapeños, cayenne pepper, or purple pepper flakes.Â
It may be carried out however you’ll be doing a lot of the cooking forward of time and popping it into the crock pot and prime with the hash rounds. Begin by browning the bottom beef with the onion and seasonings on the stovetop, then stir within the cheese, corn, cream of rooster, bitter cream, and milk. Switch the combination to the sluggish cooker and unfold it evenly.
Prime with the frozen crispy crowns or tater tots, cowl, and prepare dinner on low for 3-4 hours or excessive for 1½-2 hours, till heated via. Remember that the crispy crowns shall be a lot softer within the sluggish cooker since there’s no dry warmth to crisp them. I
When you desire a crunchy topping, you’ll be able to end the crispy crowns underneath the oven broiler for a couple of minutes earlier than serving, or bake them individually and add them on prime simply earlier than serving. Simply ensure you have an oven protected crock pot insert that may deal with that prime warmth.
Certain. As an alternative of the seasonings used- chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, you’ll be able to simply use one packet of taco seasoning. I like utilizing Selfmade Taco Seasoning too.
A casserole generally is a entire meal in itself, however you’ll be able to completely serve it with a few of your favourite sides. A giant, inexperienced salad is my favourite possibility, or toss collectively a vegetable of your alternative (the microwaveable steam veggies are a straightforward facet!)
You possibly can preserve any leftover casserole in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. You possibly can freeze leftovers in a freezer protected container for as much as 3-4 months. Thaw within the fridge in a single day and reheat when wanted.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- floor beef – you could possibly use floor pork, floor rooster, floor turkey or a meat substitute like Past meat.
- yellow onion – don’t like onion? Depart it out.
- garlic – I all the time desire contemporary garlic however I do generally use the jared stuff fin a pinch. Use what works finest for you.
- chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, coarse kosher salt, black pepper, floor cumin, and paprika – When you don’t like a number of of the seasonings right here, simply go away it out or change with ones you like.
- colby jack cheese – You should use any cheese you like for the dish. I believe Pepper Jack could be good for a kick of warmth!
- corn – You should use canned or frozen corn. When you don’t look after corn, you’ll be able to substitute it with a can of beans or simply go away it out.
- cream of rooster – you should use cream of mushroom instead of the cream of rooster. As all the time, I like utilizing Selfmade Cream of Rooster Soup, or if it’s essential swap it out, a superb Selfmade Cream of Mushroom Soup is a pleasant different.
- bitter cream – You should use any model. I desire the full-fat because it provides to the creaminess of the dish. You don’t style the bitter cream as a separate ingredient on this however should you’re completely anxious about it, you could possibly, possibly, use mayonnaise since that’s much less tangy. The bitter cream is de facto simply serving to with the general creaminess. Or you could possibly substitute the bitter cream and milk with about ½ cup heavy cream.
- Milk – you should use a milk substitute like almond milk should you mandatory.
- frozen crispy rounds – You should use any model of crispy rounds (or crowns as some manufacturers name them). They’re simply spherical, disc formed tater tots. I’ve been preferring these to tater tots currently as a result of I believe they prepare dinner extra evenly than the tater tots generally do however you could possibly use tater tots. I might go along with the mini ones if you will discover them.

HOW TO MAKE COWBOY CASSEROLE:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. To a big skillet, add the bottom beef and onion. Cook dinner and crumble over medium warmth till totally cooked and the juices run clear. Drain any extra grease and put again into the skillet (you’ll be able to flip off the warmth at this level.)

To the skillet, add the garlic and dried seasonings. Stir till mixed.Â

Add half of the cheese, corn, cream of rooster, bitter cream, and milk. Stir till mixed.Â

Switch the meat combination to a 9Ă—13-inch baking dish. Prime with the remaining shredded cheese after which evenly prime with the crispy rounds (you’ll use about 54 of the crispy rounds)

Bake uncovered on the center rack for 25-Half-hour, or till the crispy rounds are golden brown.Â

NOTE: If you wish to get them further crispy, you’ll be able to place underneath the broiler for 1-2 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY whereas something is underneath the broiler. Stand by and examine continually to ensure it doesn’t burn as a result of it could possibly burn very quick underneath the broiler should you aren’t cautious. Prime with cilantro, is utilizing.

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Preheat the oven to 400° F.
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To a big skillet, add 1 pound lean floor beef and 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion the bottom beef and onion. Cook dinner and crumble over medium warmth till totally cooked and the juices run clear. Drain any extra grease and put again into the skillet (you’ll be able to flip off the warmth at this level.)
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To the skillet, add 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon floor cumin and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir till mixed.
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Add 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese, 15.25 ounce can corn, drained, 10.5 ounce can cream of rooster, 1/2 cup bitter cream and 1/4 cup milk . Stir till mixed.
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Switch the meat combination to a 9Ă—13-inch baking dish.
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Prime with the remaining one cup shredded colby jack cheese after which evenly prime with frozen crispy crowns (you’ll use about 54 of the crispy rounds)
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Bake uncovered on the center rack for 25-Half-hour, or till the crispy rounds are golden brown.
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NOTE: If you wish to get them further crispy, you’ll be able to place underneath the broiler for 1-2 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY whereas something is underneath the broiler. Stand by and examine continually to ensure it doesn’t burn as a result of it could possibly burn very quick underneath the broiler should you aren’t cautious.
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Prime with 2 Tablespoons contemporary cilantro or parsley, if utilizing then serve!
- Please check with my FAQ’s (Regularly Requested Questions) and ingredient listing above for different substitutions or for the solutions to the commonest questions.
- Crispy rounds are simply disc formed tater tots. I discover they prepare dinner much more evenly and get a bit crispier than the larger barrel-shaped tater tots however you should use common tater tots should you can’t discover these. The mini tater tots would possibly work finest.
Energy: 680kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 24g | Fats: 28g | Sodium: 1285mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g
“The Nation Cook dinner” is just not a dietician or nutritionist, and any dietary info shared is an estimate. If calorie rely and different dietary values are necessary to you, we suggest operating the components via whichever on-line dietary calculator you like. Energy and different dietary values can differ fairly a bit relying on which manufacturers have been used.

