Description
Cowboy Casserole is a hearty, comforting dish perfect for family dinners. It features seasoned ground beef mixed with cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, corn, cheese, and crispy bacon, all topped with golden tater tots baked to perfection. This one-pan meal is deliciously cheesy, savory, and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 10.75 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup cooked and chopped bacon
- 28 ounces frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces until no longer pink. Drain excess grease thoroughly.
- Mix Cream Base: In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, milk, and sour cream until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Seasonings: Stir in onion powder, salt, and black pepper into the creamy mixture until well combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Using a wooden spoon, fold in the cooked ground beef, frozen corn, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped bacon until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour the beef mixture into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out evenly. Layer 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the mixture, then arrange the frozen tater tots evenly on top.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown.
- Add Final Cheese Layer: Remove the casserole from oven, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese on top, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes until melted.
- Serve: Optionally, sprinkle additional cooked bacon over the casserole before serving for extra flavor and crunch.
Notes
- For a lower fat version, use lean ground beef and reduced-fat cheese and sour cream.
- Make sure to drain the cooked ground beef well to avoid a greasy casserole.
- Frozen corn can be swapped with fresh or canned corn if preferred.
- Feel free to add diced onions or bell peppers to the beef mixture for extra flavor and texture.
- Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your oven, so look for bubbly edges and browned tater tots as indicators for doneness.
- This casserole can be assembled a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator before baking.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
