Name: Cowboy Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 1 onion (diced); 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper; 1 tsp each of paprika, parsley, and onion powder; 1 tbsp minced garlic; 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 10 oz can of corn (drained); 10 oz can of cream of mushroom; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1 1/2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese; 30 oz bag of frozen crispy crowns or tater tots

jump to recipe

Cowboy Casserole is an easy and delicious one pan dinner recipe!

This dish is also known as Tater Tot Casserole or Hot Dish, but my family has always called it Cowboy Casserole. This recipe is always a huge hit with my family and since it is made in one pan, clean up is super easy!

It is made with common ingredients you probably already have in your fridge, freezer, or pantry.

Disclosure: Cooking in the Midwest participates in affiliate advertising programs. I may earn a commission when you make qualifying purchases through my website.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
1 tsp each of paprika, parsley, and onion powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
10 oz can of corn, drained
10 oz can of cream of mushroom
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese
30 oz bag of frozen crispy crowns or tater tots

Make Cowboy Casserole

To start making this super easy recipe, chop one onion and set it aside.

Next, brown 1 lb of ground beef and diced onion in a skillet over medium-high heat.

I use a deep 12 inch cast iron skillet for this recipe. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet you can transfer the casserole to a 9×13 baking dish before adding the crispy crowns on top.

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, and onion powder. Once the beef is cooked, drain any extra grease from the meat.

Now that the beef is fully cooked, add 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, one can of corn that has been drained, and one can of cream of mushroom soup.

Next, add about 1 cup of shredded Colby Jack cheese and 1/4 cup of sour cream.

Stir everything together well and smooth this out into an even layer.

Finally, top the casserole with a little bit more shredded cheese and then start adding on the crispy crowns or tater tots.

I prefer tater tot casseroles to be made with crispy crowns, because they get crispier than the tots, but either will work in this recipe!

For the last step, once all of the crispy crowns are spread onto the casserole in an even layer bake it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the tots are cooked how you like them!

Serve Cowboy Casserole

Once the crispy crowns are nice and golden brown, it’s time to eat!

This is one of those meals that can be served as is or you could serve it with an easy vegetable! My family likes to have this with green beans or a salad.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

I prefer to use Crispy Crowns, because I feel like they get crispier, but Tater Tots can definitely be used in this recipe! I bought a 30 oz bag of Crispy Crowns and didn’t quite use all of them.
If you aren’t a fan of cream of mushroom soup, really any cream of soup can be used in this recipe. The cream of soup helps give it that great casserole texture.
I used shredded Colby Jack cheese, but you could use shredded cheddar cheese instead.
I used a deep 12 inch cast iron skillet for this recipe, if you don’t have a skillet that can also go in the oven you can transfer the casserole to a baking dish before adding the tater tots.
This bakes in the oven at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the crispy crowns are golden brown.Turn on the broiler for the last few minutes to help the crispy crowns get browned for extra crispy tots.

Similar Recipes