Satisfy your hunger with this mouth-watering cowboy casserole recipe. Packed with hearty ingredients like ground beef, beans, and corn, this dish will surely become a family favorite. This is quick and easy comfort food at its best.
The Ultimate Comfort Food
My family just loves this easy dish made with frozen tater tots and simple ingredients. This family favorite is comfort food at its best, made without canned soup. This all-inclusive casserole with meat, potatoes, and veggies is a filling meal by itself, but if guests are coming, I love to serve it with sweet potato cornbread, corn muffins, or cheddar drop biscuits.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Frozen tater tots – I like to use Ore-Ida
- Ground beef – or ground turkey, pork, or chicken
- Vegetables – sweet yellow onion, fresh garlic, corn, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and green chiles.
- Taco seasoning – preferably homemade
- Black beans – canned beans are best
- Cheese – cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend
- Sour Cream – full-fat
Preparation Tips
- If you don’t like an ingredient, substitute something else. For example, if you don’t like corn, try green beans or peas.
- Add a little minced jalapeno, cayenne pepper, green chilies, or more red pepper flakes for a kicked-up spicy flavor.
- I like to prebake the tater tots on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. This crisps them up a bit and provides a better texture overall.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy: Add minced jalapeno at the same time as the garlic, and use shredded pepper jack cheese.
- Meats: To switch up the ground meat, try ground turkey, sausage, pork, chicken, or any combination.
- Italian: Add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasonings to the hamburger mixture, skip the other spices, and substitute shredded mozzarella for the Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese.
What to Serve With Cowboy Casserole
Sometimes, I like to round this casserole off with a healthy salad, such as broccoli salad, tomato and cucumber salad, creamy coleslaw, or cowboy caviar. Or a refreshing beverage like strawberry lemonade or Arnold Palmer lemonade.
Reader Comment
Aimee. “This is the ultimate casserole and has every kind of comforting food you could ever want! My husband loved it and said it is a keeper! Two thumbs up from both of us!”
Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen in a sturdy freezer container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
This casserole is best reheated in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until warm. Or in the microwave at 70% power for 3-4 minutes or until warmed.
Cowboy Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bag 32 ounces frozen tater tots
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can can whole kernel corn drained
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 (7 ounce) can green chiles
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1/2 cup sour cream warmed to room temperature for 40 minutes
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Spread the tater tots over a large baking sheet. Bake the tater tots in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Brown the ground beef in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. About halfway through the browning process, add the chopped onions. Continue cooking until the ground beef is browned and the onions are soft. Drain any excess grease. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- Add the taco seasoning, black beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and diced green chiles to the hamburger mixture. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar and the sour cream. If you are not cooking this in an ovenproof skillet at this time, transfer the contents to a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Layer the tater tots on the top of the hamburger mixture in the skillet. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 12-15 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Notes
- If you don’t like an ingredient, substitute something else. For example, if you don’t like corn, try green beans or peas.
- For a kicked-up spicy flavor, add a little minced jalapeno, cayenne pepper, green chilies, or more red pepper flakes.
- I like to prebake the tater tots for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees on a baking sheet. This crisps them up a bit and provides a better texture overall.
Nutrition
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Yvette
I tend to use ground beef in dishes like chilli or bolognaise so making this cowboy casserole would be a lovely change. We love sweet corn too so this really does sound like a lovely comforting dinner.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Yvette! Enjoy!
Rhian S
I love casseroles and dishes like this to warm you up, a good time of the year to have before it gets too warm. We don’t really have tater tots in the UK but there must be an alternative
Beth Pierce
What about hashbrowns? Do you have them?
Melissa C
This is comfort food at its finest and I am seriously making this recipe this week! I love a casserole first as it is so much easier and this remonds me of a recipe my mom made when I was a kid. I love it!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Melissa! It is delicious! Enjoy!
Lisa Marie
This is the ultimate comfort food! Great for busy families. It is perfect for satisfying hungry tummies.
Albert
I gathered all the recipe ingredients, feeling like a chef on the frontier. I mixed the ground beef, onions, beans, and a melody of spices, topping it off with a layer of golden tater tots. I watched with pride as my family savored each bite, the flavors telling a tale of tradition and home-cooked warmth. Thank you.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Albert! So happy that the family liked it!
Mary Ann
What a great casserole. The adults loved it as much as the kids. Thanks for a recipe without canned soup. I am not fond of it either.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Mary Ann!
Karen Loveland
Oh my oh my…this was out of this world….So delicious…I will definitely make it again. I highly recommend it.
Allyson B
My family loves this casserole! thanks for the easy recipe!
Sandy Lucas
This was such a hearty meal! It was really good and easy to prepare! We loved it!
Gust
The Cowboy Casserole was a total winner at our family dinner last night! It was hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor. Even my picky eaters asked for seconds.
Beth Pierce
That is great, Gust! So glad that it was a hit!
Erin S
My family loved it after trying it! Definitely making it again and again!
Becky
Would you need to make any modifications if you switched ground turkey for the ground beef? I’m trying to lighten it up a little.
Beth Pierce
No modifications necessary! Enjoy!
Ashley t
I’ve heard of this recipe but have never seen it or tried it before. It looks so delicious and my hubby would love this.
Mae
I love a good casserole! This dish looks so delicious and hearty. Perfect for the cold weather!
Thena Franssen
I can’t wait to make this! this is one of my favorite recipes when I was little!
Veronika Sykorova
This casserole looks so good and comforting, definitely making this over the weekend for next week!