Do you love cheddar cheese, tater tots, ground beef, sour cream, and other goodies? If so, this recipe for Cowboy Casserole is sure to be a treat. It combines these ingredients in the best way possible, creating the ideal meal. And since it serves eight people, you can feed a crowd. As a bonus, it only takes 10 minutes to prep so that you can feed the masses without much work. Let’s take a closer look at the recipe so you can dig into this delicious meal.
Cowboy Casserole Ingredients
You already know some of the ingredients, but it calls for a few extra as well. You’ll need:
- A half-pound of 85 percent lean ground beef
- One cup of corn
- 2/3 cup of condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half
- 1/3 cup of whole milk
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- One teaspoon of onion powder
- A half teaspoon of black pepper
- A half-cup of cooked and crumbled bacon
- 32 ounces of tater tots
Making the Cowboy Casserole
Get started by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then put the meat in a large skillet, turn the burner to medium, and heat it until it’s browned.
Next, you’ll need to add the following ingredients to the skillet:
- Corn
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Half cup of cheese
- Milk
- Sour cream
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Bacon
Mix all the ingredients until everything is combined. Then transfer the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan with the beef on the bottom, followed by the cheese. Because you mixed the ingredients, you won’t be able to separate them perfectly. However, strive to get as much meat on the bottom as possible.
Then top it with the tater tots. Keep it uncovered and bake it for 40-45 minutes. Once it’s golden brown and bubbly, add the remaining cheese and bake it for another five minutes.
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Substitutions
Do you use recipes as a guide but like to put your spin on things? This recipe is easy to adapt. You can mix things up by adding frozen broccoli, peas, and carrots to the casserole. Put them between the beef and cheese and cook the casserole for 10 minutes longer than the recipe recommends.
You can also change out the meat. If you prefer Italian pork sausage or ground turkey, both taste great in this recipe.
Oh, and you can even make the casserole taste like tacos. Add some taco seasoning or a teaspoon of chili powder to spice it up. You can even add jalapenos, canned chilies, and beans to it. Then, toss in some Rotel or salsa and bake for an extra 10 minutes.
And then, finally, you can toss in some additional spices if you want. You can put some parsley or another favorite spice on top of the tater tots. You don’t have to adjust your cooking times if you do this.
These are some ideas, but you can go in any direction you want. Play with the recipe to find the perfect taste for your family.
With eight hearty helpings, your crew will be full and satisfied after this meal. If you have some leftovers, let them cool. Then put the leftovers in a freezer bag to eat later. As long as you eat them within three months, the casserole will be almost as tasty as it was when fresh out of the oven.