Name: Cowboy Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; Half of a medium yellow onion (diced); One 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes (not drained); One 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn (drained); One 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (undiluted); 1 ½ cups Colby and Monterey Jack cheese (shredded, divided); 1 cup sour cream; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon chives (chopped); One 32 ounce bag tater tots

Never Think About What to Make for Dinner for the Next Two Months with My Lazy Cooking Bundle

Easy and cheesy, this cowboy casserole recipe is the perfect family-friendly dinner idea!

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5 from 4 votes

A plate of food with rice and vegetables, with Casserole

This easy and cheesy cowboy casserole recipe is the perfect dinner for busy nights. A simple, hearty casserole with ground beef, veggies, spices, crispy tater tots and lots of cheese. You could also make it with ground turkey or ground chicken, too.

It’s so quick to layer in a casserole dish and pop in the oven to bake. For more casserole recipes your family will love, check out our awesome lasagna casserole, tuna casserole, and our vegetable casserole.

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Cowboy casserole is made of layers of creamy beef filling, cheese, and tater tots. We first heard about it from the Pioneer Woman, but there are many ways to make this hearty dish. It’s a twist on a classic Tater Tot Casserole, with layers of meat, cheese, and veggies added.

Cowboy casserole is inspired by other dishes like cowboy potatoes (baked potatoes and veggies). Easy and quick to make, this recipe is loved by cowboys and busy families alike.

Ingredients for Cowboy Casserole

1 pound ground beef
Half of a medium yellow onion, diced
One 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, not drained
One 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
One 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 ½ cups Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
1 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
One 32 ounce bag tater tots

Substitutions & Additions

One of the best parts of this recipe is that you can customize it to fit your family’s tastes. Love cheese? Add a few more handfuls. Not a fan of tomatoes? Leave out the can of Rotel. This is an easy recipe to experiment with and create your own version. Here are some popular changes:

BEANS: Pinto or black beans give this casserole a southwestern flair. Stir them in at the same time as when you add your Rotel tomatoes.

VEGGIES: Add mixed peas and carrots to make the base layer of your casserole more similar to that of chicken pot pie. This is a tasty twist that goes well with the creaminess and crispy tots in the recipe.

How to Make Cowboy Casserole

STEP ONE: Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray. Place the tater tots in the dish and pre-bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and transfer the tater tots to a bowl. Turn the oven up to 425 degrees.

STEP TWO: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook your onions and ground beef until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are tender. Add the Rotel tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper into the skillet. Cook until the liquid has reduced, about 8 minutes.

STEP THREE: Remove the skillet from the heat and add sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, drained corn, and ½ cup of cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.

STEP FOUR: Pour the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it in an even layer.

STEP FIVE: Sprinkle ½ cup of cheese over the top of the mixture.

STEP SIX: Layer the tater tots on top, pressing them down into the mixture. Layer your tater tots side by side to fit the most into your dish. By creating an even layer of lined-up tater tots you’ll get a nice, even amount of tater tots in each slice of your casserole (plus, it looks pretty)!

STEP SEVEN: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese over the top of the tater tots.Sprinkle the chopped chives over the cheese. Cover and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Making this recipe in a slow cooker

This recipe is also easy to make in your crockpot. Use the same instructions, but create all of the layers in your slow cooker (instead of a baking dish). Cook the casserole, covered, on low for 5 hours.

How to Freeze

Once it’s completely cool, you can store inside the freezer for up to three months in a freezer-safe dish. You’ll want to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven.

What to Serve with this dish:

Since this casserole is such a great all in one dinner, I usually keep the sides easy too. The recipe has potatoes and corn already so I usually make a nice side salad to go along with our cowboy casserole.Try this easy Caesar salad recipe, it’s a favorite! If you want an easy dessert idea, pair this meal with our blueberry cobbler.

For a fun way to turn tater tots into an all-in-one meal, this cowboy casserole is a favorite of little cowboys and cowgirls everywhere! It’s a family favorite that makes dinnertime easy.

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