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; Dried Parsley

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This One-Pan Cowboy Casserole recipe is an easy weeknight dinner made with seasoned ground beef, corn, crispy crowns, and melted cheese. Everything cooks together in a cast iron skillet, so there’s no need to brown the beef separately or transfer to a baking dish.

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Easy Cowboy Casserole Recipe

If you’re looking for an easy, delicious weeknight dinner your family will love, this Cowboy Casserole recipe won’t disappoint! This meal is the ultimate comfort food.

Unlike many Cowboy Casserole recipes, this one is made entirely in an oven-safe skillet. The ground beef cooks right in the skillet before being topped with cripspy crowns and baked until they are golden brown.

You may know this dish 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. My kids love the idea of eating something called Cowboy Casserole!

My family enjoys this recipe because it’s cozy comfort food, an easy one-pan dinner, and clean up is super easy! It’s also made with basic ingredients you probably already have in your fridge, freezer, or pantry.

If you are looking for more casseroles made with tater tots, I have a few my family loves! Check out my Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole, Chili Dog Tater Tot Casserole, Taco Tater Tot Casserole, and Fiesta Chicken Tater Tot Casserole. These are all easy one-pan casseroles topped with crispy tots!

Ingredients for Cowboy Casserole

Ground beef
Onion, diced
Salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, and onion powder
Minced garlic
Worcestershire sauce
Corn
Cream of mushroom
Sour cream
Shredded Colby Jack cheese
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.

ground beef, onions, seasonings in skillet

draining the grease from the beef with a paper towel

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, and onion powder. Once the beef is cooked, drain any extra grease from the meat. I like to use a paper towel and tongs to soak up any excess grease.

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.

Browned beef, corn, cream of mushroom in skillet

browned beef, corn, cream of mushroom spread evenly in skillet

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.

unbaked cowboy Casserole topped with frozen crispy crowns

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!

One night while cooking this meal for the family we were out of tater tots and all we had in the freezer was a bag of crispy crowns. I used them, realized they get crispier in casseroles, and decided crispy crowns were my go-to choice!

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.

If you have any leftovers store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat the ground beef Cowboy Casserole in the oven until warm! You can also microwave a plate of the casserole, but the tots will be more soft.

You will love this recipe because it’s simple to make, comfort food the whole family will enjoy, and since it’s a one-pan dinner clean up is so easy.

Tips and Substitutions

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cowboy Casserole?

Cowboy Casserole is an easy and delicious ground beef dinner recipe/casserole topped with tater tots! You may have heard this recipe as Tater Tot Casserole or Hotdish. This version is made in one-pan, so you don’t have to transfer the beef to a baking dish.

Can I use tater tots instead of crispy crowns in Cowboy Casserole?

Yes, you can use tater tots instead! I’ve found that the Crispy Crowns cook a little bit better and get crispier (they are more of a flat/round shape), but any variations of tater tots will work in this recipe.

Do I need to thaw the crispy crowns or tater tots first?

No, the crispy crowns or tater tots will go on top of your casserole frozen! No need to thaw.

What should I serve with Cowboy Casserole?

Honestly this casserole could be the whole meal on its own, but if you want to serve something with it a salad is a great option! You could also serve some green beans or another vegetable your family likes.

Can I freeze Cowboy Casserole?

Yes, this recipe makes a great freezer meal! Assemble the casserole and instead of putting it in the oven cover it well with aluminum foil. Place the Cowboy Casserole in the freezer. When you are ready to make the casserole, let it thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Bake following the instructions from the recipe.

What else can I add to this casserole?

You could add a can of drained green beans, chopped spinach, or even some canned peas to this casserole. You could also switch up the seasonings. Add some chili powder or red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat. Top it with dried parsley, chopped green onions, or even cilantro!

More Family Dinner Recipes

If you make this One-Pan Cowboy Casserole recipe, I hope your family loves it! If you make the casserole I would appreciate it if you left me a recipe rating or saved this to your Pinterest account!