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July 21, 2022 Leave a Comment

Cowboy Casserole

Cowboy Casserole in a 9x13 glass baking dish with a metal spoon inserted into the bottom right corner.Have you ever had Cowboy Casserole? It looks a lot like my recipe for Best Ever Tater Tot Casserole, but it has a different flavor combo under the tater tots and cheese. Cowboy Casserole uses tomato soup and a little barbecue sauce mixed with onion, ground beef, and canned corn. It may seem like a strange combination, but trust me. The end result is some seriously delicious comfort food. 

A serving of cowboy casserole, orange and apple slices, and a roll on a blue dinner plate. On the left of the plate is a blue striped napkin with a fork on it.I don’t know if it was because I was raised on casseroles or if it’s just that I like pretty much all foods, but I love making casseroles. I love eating them, too. This one is so simple to throw together, and it’s easy to keep the ingredients for it on hand since everything can either be pulled from the freezer or pantry.

I especially love casseroles that all of my kids eat without complaint. I can’t wait for you to give this fantastic casserole a try. Best of all, it can be frozen and baked later or even prepped in the morning and refrigerated until an hour before dinner.

Cowboy casserole in a glass 9x13 baking dish.Crazy for Casseroles

  • Easy Pizza Casserole
  • Baked Ziti Recipe
  • Chicken Cordon Bleu Stuffing Casserole
  • Creamy Beef and Green Chili Casserole
  • Broccoli Chicken Casserole with Egg Noodles
  • Trader Joe’s Zucchini Alfredo Casserole

STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS FOR HOW TO MAKE COWBOY CASSEROLE

Step-by-step photos on how to make Cowboy Casserole.

A role, apple and orange slices, and a serving of cowboy casserole on a dinner plate. Above the plate is the corner of a glass 9x13 dish of Cowboy Casserole with a scoop taken out of the corner and a metal spoon lying in the empty corner. On the left of the plate a fork is sitting on a white and blue striped tea towel.

Frequently Asked Questions about how to make Cowboy Casserole

what is a good substitute for canned tomato soup?

If you don’t have canned tomato soup, you can make my recipe for a Homemade Condensed Tomato Soup Substitute. All you do is whisk up tomato sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, and salt to make it. I do not recommend using tomato sauce in place of the canned tomato soup. It will make the sauce for the casserole runny.

how do you brown the ground beef to make it crispy?

Add the ground beef to a lightly oiled frying pan. Spread the meat into an even layer in the pan. Let the ground beef layer cook until you see crispy edges. Next, use a spatula to flip the meat into large pieces. Let the other side brown until you see crispy edges. Finally, break the large pieces into bits.

Do I need to let the tater tots thaw before placing them on top?

No. There’s no need to let the tater tots thaw.

A glass 9x13 baking dish of Cowboy Casserole.can I make this casserole in advance?

Yes. Prepare the casserole, but leave the cheese off the top. Cover the dish with saran wrap and place it in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, remove the saran wrap, and bake the casserole for 45 minutes. Next, remove the casserole, add the shredded cheese, and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the casserole is warm and bubbly.

can I freeze this casserole?

This casserole makes a great freezer meal. I recommend using a disposable 9×13 aluminum pan, if you are going to freeze it. Prepare the casserole, but don’t add the cheese to the top. Cover with aluminum foil, label it, and place in the freezer. When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, remove it from the freezer (keep the aluminum foil on top), and bake it for 90 minutes. Remove it from the oven, take off the aluminum foil, and top with the shredded cheese. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the casserole is warm and bubbly.

Two-photo Pinterest picture separating the photos with the text of the title in the middle.chef’s tools:

  • Large Frying Pan
  • Spatula
  • Can Opener
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Cheese Grater
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Try these Lasagna Recipes

    Easy-Lasagna-Casserole-Leftover-Makeover-1Easy Lasagna CasseroleA serving of lasagna, green beans and a roll on a blue plate with a yellow napkin on the left side and top in the background.No-Noodle Zucchini LasagnaSausage-and-zucchini-lasagna-roll-upsSausage and Zucchini Lasagna Roll-ups

Cowboy Casserole
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
40 mins
Total time
1 hour
 
Not just for cowboys, this delicious Cowboy Casserole is a simple and comforting casserole the whole family will beg you to make again and again.
Author: Slightly adapted from a recipe I saw on Pinterest years ago and have never been able to find since.
Recipe type: Casserole/Beef
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 large onion or two small, diced
  • 1 16 ounce canned corn, drained
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can of tomato soup
  • 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 bag frozen tater tots
  • 2-3 cups shredded Colby Jack or cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large frying pan, brown the hamburger and onions until completely cooked. Add the salt and pepper while it is cooking. I like to cook it long enough that the meat gets nice and crispy in places. (See FAQs above for how to make crispy ground beef.) I feel like it gives the meat more flavor.
  3. Next, add the tomato soup, can of corn (drained), and barbecue sauce. Mix well and remove from heat.
  4. Pour mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Cover the top with the frozen tater tots.
  5. Bake in the 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove, add the cheese evenly on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the casserole is warm and bubbly.
  6. **If you are cooking the casserole out of the fridge, you will need to increase the cooking time. Bake it for 45 minutes before adding the cheese and then an additional 15 minutes with the cheese on.
  7. ***If you are baking a frozen casserole, cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes, and then remove foil, top with cheese, and bake for another 15 minutes.
  8. Enjoy!
3.5.3251

9x13 Dessert Recipes

a piece of a four layer chocolate lasagna with a shortbread crust sitting on a stack of three small white plates. a fork is taking a bite off of the square of dessert. You can see the rest of the pan of dessert in the background.Chocolate Lasagna with Shortbread CrustNo-Bake-Cherry-Cheesecake-2No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake {9×13 size}On two white dessert plates is a serving of banana pudding. On the right is a partial picture of the top of a spoon. In the background is the corner of a blue and white Polish pottery pattern 9x13 dish, part of a banana, and one white plate with a scoop of the pudding on it.Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe

Pinterest photo with the text of the title of the recipe at the top.

$10 Dinners, Beef, Casseroles, Dinners, Gluten Free, Quick and Easy, Recipes
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Welcome friends!

Hi, I'm Maria. A mom of five and a total foodie. My superpower is taking ordinary recipes and making them DELICIOUS. Your family will LOVE these meals! Come cook with me, I promise it will be amazing! Get started here or search my archives below.


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