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Cowboy casserole recipe with crispy tater tots, melted cheese and bacon. Hearty 50 minute family dinner casserole with layers.

Cowboy Casserole

Hearty layered casserole with seasoned ground beef, creamy vegetables and crispy tater tot topping. This cowboy casserole recipe delivers Western comfort food in 50 minutes perfect for family dinners and potlucks.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Casserole
  • 2 lbs Ground beef 80/20 or lean
  • 1 bag Frozen tater tots 32 oz
  • 1 can Cream of mushroom soup 10.5 oz
  • 1 cup Sour cream
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese Shredded, divided
  • 1 large Yellow onion Diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 can Corn kernels 15 oz, drained
  • 1 can Green beans 15 oz, drained
  • 6 strips Bacon Cooked and crumbled
  • 2 tablespoon Ranch seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Salt To taste
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper Freshly ground
  • 3 tablespoon Fresh parsley Chopped for garnish
  • Cooking spray For baking dish

Equipment

  • 1 Large skillet For browning beef
  • 1 9x13 inch baking dish For layering casserole
  • 1 Wooden spoon For breaking up beef
  • 1 Mixing bowls For cream sauce
  • 1 Can opener For soup and vegetables
  • 1 Cheese grater Optional for fresh cheese
  • 1 Measuring cups and spoons Accurate measurements

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F, spray 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray
  2. Heat skillet over medium high, add ground beef breaking up as it cooks, add diced onion and garlic, cook 8 minutes until browned, drain fat
  3. Add salt, pepper and ranch seasoning to beef mixture, stir to combine
  4. Mix cream of mushroom soup with sour cream in bowl until smooth
  5. Stir drained corn and green beans into cream mixture, add 1 cup shredded cheese
  6. Spread seasoned beef mixture evenly in bottom of prepared baking dish
  7. Pour creamy vegetable mixture over beef spreading to edges
  8. Arrange frozen tater tots in single layer over creamy mixture edge to edge
  9. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over tots, top with crumbled bacon
  10. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes until tots golden brown and cheese melted, rest 5 minutes, garnish with parsley

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.