Description
Cowboy Casserole is a hearty, comforting American baked dish featuring browned ground beef mixed with creamy mushroom soup, sour cream, and cheddar cheese, topped with crispy golden tater tots. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, this casserole is flavorful, satisfying, and kid-friendly.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
Dairy
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Other Ingredients
- 1 (30-ounce) bag frozen tater tots
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Cook Beef and Onion: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion until the beef is browned and the onion becomes soft, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Add Garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant. Remove skillet from heat.
- Mix Creamy Ingredients: Add the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, drained corn, salt, and black pepper to the beef mixture. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Assemble Casserole: Spread the beef and creamy mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Top with Tater Tots: Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer over the surface of the casserole.
- Bake Tater Tots: Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes, until the tater tots turn crispy and golden brown on top.
- Add Remaining Cheese: Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the baked tater tots. Return the dish to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven, garnish with chopped parsley if desired, and serve the casserole hot.
Notes
- Substitute ground turkey or sausage for the ground beef for a different flavor.
- Add a pinch of smoked paprika or chili powder to the beef mixture for extra depth of flavor.
- This casserole freezes well; assemble it ahead of time and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
