This gorgeously cheesy cowboy casserole is the ultimate in family-friendly comfort food – a bit like if nachos, beef chili and Cottage Pie had a baby! I’m talking rich, tomatoey ground beef, spicy jalapeรฑos, smoky chorizo, black beans and sweet corn, topped with crispy tater tots (or mini hash browns!) and loads of gooey cheese. Baked to golden, bubbling perfection, this one is fab for cozy nights in, potlucks or even as a fun twist on brunch.
Casserole for me usually invokes a pretty negative reaction – it immediately draws to mind a watery, bland stew – but this cowboy casserole? It’s as FAR apart from that visual as you can possibly get. It’s kind of like a beef chili, mixed with Cottage Pie, mixed with nachos and it is truly so UNBELIEVABLY delicious.
Plus, it’s incredibly simple to make, uses easy to find ingredients, is perfect for prepping ahead of time and let’s be honest, anything topped with crispy tater tots and lots of cheese is ALWAYS going to be a winner. It’s also one of those brilliant recipes that most people will like, and you can play around with the level of spiciness if you’re cooking for kids.
When my boyfriend tried this, he suggested it would also be fun as a brunch dish (I think it’s those mini hash browns!) and I am now OBSESSED with that idea and can’t wait to do it. How fun would that be for holiday mornings?!
Love one pot meals too? Try these one pan baked satay dumplings, one pot green goddess lasagna, one pot high protein white chicken chili, one pot mac and cheese or one pot hidden veggie lasagna soup next.
Ingredients
- Ground beef. I recommend using beef that isn’t TOO lean, just for the best flavor, but lean ground beef will work. I like to use 10% or 12% ground beef when I make this.
- Pickled jalapenos. Sharp, spicy, briny pickled jalapenos are an ingredient I always like to have on hand. Here we’ll cook them with the onion and spices and they provide a unique acidity and heat. If you’re worried about their spiciness, you could reduce the quantity you use. If you can’t find or don’t have them, you could replace them with fresh jalapenos or an extra teaspoon of chili powder.
- Spices. You’ll need ground cumin, dried oregano, chili powder and smoked paprika. Or, keep things simple and use taco seasoning.
- Chorizo. This smoky, spicy cured sausage is an optional addition but I really recommend using it if possible. It just adds another lovely layer of flavor that works so well. You could use chopped bacon instead, or just leave it out.
- Beans. I’m using black beans, but you can really use your favorite here. White beans (like cannellini, Navy or butter beans) are great, as are Kidney beans or even chickpeas.
- Cheese. I’m using a mix of mozzarella (for the stretchy factor) and cheddar (for flavor). I recommend sticking to this combination, or you could swap the cheddar for another strongly flavored cheese, like Colby or Monterey Jack.
How to Make Cowboy Casserole
Start by cooking your onion, chorizo and jalapenos until they start to soften and the chorizo releases its lovely oil. Then add the garlic and spices and cook for another few minutes.
Add your ground beef and cook until brown, before going in with the canned tomatoes, beans and corn. Simmer to thicken the sauce.
Scatter with cheese, then arrange your tater tots on top. Finish with the remaining cheese, then pop into the oven until golden and bubbling.
Bake until golden and bubbling, then top with whipped avocado, dollops of sour cream, cilantro and a sprinkling of chili powder. Serve while hot.
One Pot Cowboy Casserole FAQs
You absolutely can. There are a couple of ways to do that.:
– You can assemble the whole thing in the pan, then cover and pop into the fridge until you’re ready to bake it (you can do that up to 48 hours in advance – just add about 10 minutes to the baking time because it’ll take longer to heat through).
– Or, you can make the beef chili filling and store it in the fridge for up to three days before topping with the cheese and tater tots when you’re ready to bake.
It’ll keep well for about five days in the fridge – it’s quickest to reheat portions in the microwave until piping hot but you can reheat it in the oven too – 340F/170C for about 20 minutes. You can also freeze the casserole – either bake, cover and freeze the whole thing, then defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating – or freeze the assembled bake before baking it. Defrost it (or at least part defrost it) before baking it for the best and quickest results.
Like this recipe? Try these easy one pot ideas next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day ๐.
Print
Cheesy One Pot Cowboy Casserole
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
This gorgeously cheesy cowboy casserole is the ultimate in family-friendly comfort food – a bit like if nachos, beef chili and Cottage Pie had a baby!
I’m talking rich, tomatoey ground beef, spicy jalapeรฑos, smoky chorizo, black beans and sweet corn, topped with crispy tater tots (or mini hash browns!) and loads of gooey cheese. Baked to golden, bubbling perfection, this one is fab for cozy nights in, potlucks or even as a fun twist on brunch.
Ingredients
For the cowboy casserole –
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2oz/50g chorizo, diced
- 1/3 cup pickled jalapeรฑos, chopped (or use 2 fresh jalapeรฑos)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Black pepper
- 1lb/500g ground beef
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes (14.5oz/400g cans)
- 1 can of black beans, drained (14.5oz/400g can, drained)
- 1 cup corn (fresh/frozen/canned)
- Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Tater tots
For the toppings –
- 1 large ripe avocado
- A handful of cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
Instructions
- Cook the onion and chorizo. Heat your oven to 430F/220C. Set a large, high sided ovenproof skillet or pan over medium-high heat, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced onion, chopped or crumbled chorizo and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, or until the onion is softening and the chorizo has released its lovely oil.
- Add the spices. Pour in the chopped pickled jalapeรฑos, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, the crushed garlic and a good grind of black pepper. Stir through the onion and chorizo for another couple of minutes.
- Cook the beef. Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it up with your spatula or wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the beef has browned (five or so minutes).
- Add the tomatoes, beans and corn. At this point, pour in your canned tomatoes, drained black beans, corn and 3/4 cup of water (I like to refill the empty tomato can with water to get any tomatoey residue out). Stir through the beef and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, just to thicken up the sauce.
- Arrange the tater tots. Once the chili has thickened a little, give it a taste, then season with a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs to. Scatter half the cheese on top, then arrange the tater tots on top of the cheese. You can make a pretty circular pattern like I have in the photos in the post above, or arrange them a bit more rusticly. It’s up to you!
- Bake the casserole. Scatter the remaining cheese on top of the tater tots, then transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tater tots are deeply golden and the chili is bubbling.ย
- Make the whipped avocado. While the casserole bakes, scoop the flesh of your avocado into a small bowl. Add the juice of 1 lime, a good handful of chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt. Use a fork to mash everything together, then taste and add a little more salt or lime juice if needed. Set aside.
- Garnish and serve.ย Dollop the sour cream onto the baked casserole, then spoon the whipped avocado on too. Scatter with more cilantro and the chili powder, then serve while hot.
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES:ย You can really play around with this one. Swap ground beef for ground turkey, chicken or a plant-based alternative. Ground beef with a higher percentage of fat (10% – 15%) will give you the best flavor, but lean beef works well too. If you’re worried about spiciness, reduce the amount of pickled jalapeรฑos and chili powder you use.ย
SUBSTITUTIONS: If you don’t have black beans, use cannellini beans, chickpeas or Kidney beans. Chorizo gives a lovely smoky flavor, but if you can’t find it, you can leave it out, or replace it with bacon. You could swap the tater tots for mashed potato, or mashed cauliflower for a lower carb version. You can also replace the separate spices here for taco seasoning. Add more vegetables if you like – diced bell peppers, carrots or zucchini work well.
PREP AHEAD: Assemble the whole thing in the pan, then cover and pop it into the fridge until you’re ready to bake it (you can do that up to 48 hours in advance). When you’re ready to bake, add about 10 minutes to the baking time because it’ll take longer to heat through if it’s fridge cold. You can also make the beef chili filling and store it in the fridge for up to three days before topping with the cheese and tater tots when you’re ready to bake.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:ย It’ll keep for about five days in the fridge – it’s quickest to reheat portions in the microwave until piping hot but you can reheat it in the oven too – 340F/170C for about 20 minutes. You can also freeze the casserole – either bake, cover and freeze the whole thing, then defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating – or freeze the assembled bake before baking it. Defrost it (or at least part defrost it) before baking it for the best and quickest results.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: meat
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 300g
- Calories: 553
- Sugar: 10.3g
- Sodium: 1465.4mg
- Fat: 25.5g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45.1g
- Fiber: 13.9g
- Protein: 40.3g
- Cholesterol: 74.6mg
0 Comments