This gorgeously one pot cheesy cowboy casserole is the ultimate in family-friendly comfort food. A little like if nachos, beef chili, and Cottage Pie had a baby! I’m talking rich, tomatoey ground beef, spicy jalapeños, smoky chorizo, black beans, sweet corn, all topped with crispy tater tots and loads of gooey cheese. Baked to golden, bubbling perfection, it’s fab for cozy nights in, potlucks, or even as a fun twist on brunch.
Cowboy Casserole, at a Glance
⏰ Time: 1 hour
🍽️ Makes: 6 servings
🛒 Key Ingredients: Ground beef, frozen tater tots, canned tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, black beans, corn, cheese
🍳 Cooking Method: Stovetop, then oven, all in one pan
💪 Protein: 36.5g per serving
🌶️ Spice Level: Medium, easy to adjust by reducing the jalapeños and chili powder
🥘 Perfect For: Cozy family dinners, game day parties, brunch for a crowd, or when you have a packet of ground beef to use up
Crispy Tater Tots Make Everything Better
For me, casserole usually invokes a fairly negative reaction. It immediately brings to mind a watery, bland stew. But this cowboy casserole? It’s about as FAR apart from that visual as you can get.
Think rich, smoky beef chili meets cottage pie, with a little nacho-inspired deliciousness thrown in. It’s incredibly simple to make, perfect for prepping ahead, 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 I’ve found most people like, and you can play around with the spice level 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’m 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 You’ll Need
- 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 jalapeños. Sharp, spicy, briny pickled jalapeños are an ingredient I always like to have on hand. Here we’ll cook them with the onion and spices, and they bring acidity and heat. If you’re worried about their spiciness, you can reduce the quantity. If you can’t find or don’t have them, you could replace them with fresh jalapeños or an extra teaspoon of chili powder, but it won’t be quite the same.
- 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. I’m using Spanish chorizo. 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
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the casserole – the full recipe with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the page for you.
- Start by cooking your onion, chorizo, and jalapeños until the onion softens and the chorizo releases its lovely oil.
- Add the garlic and spices and cook for another few minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned.
- Add the canned tomatoes, beans, and corn. Simmer to thicken the sauce.
- Scatter with cheese, then start arranging your tater tots on top. I like doing this in a spiral (it looks gorgeous).
- Sprinkle over more cheese, then pop into the oven until golden and bubbling.
- Top with whipped avocado, dollops of sour cream, cilantro, and a sprinkling of chili powder.
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 – 350F/180C 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 partially defrost it) before baking it for the best and quickest results.
No, you can add them straight from frozen. Arrange them in a single layer over the filling, then bake until they’re golden and the casserole is bubbling.
Yes! Just cook the filling in a large pan on the stovetop, then transfer it to an ovenproof baking dish, before adding the cheese and tater tots on top.
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 😊.
Cheesy One Pot Cowboy Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the onion and chorizo. Heat your oven to 425F/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 jalapeños, 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 ¾ 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, give it a taste, then season with a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. The chili should be thick and spoonable, rather than quite loose. Simmer for five more minutes if needed, to thicken.Scatter half the cheese on top, then arrange the tater tots on top of the cheese in a single layer. You can make a pretty circular pattern as 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.
- Make the smashed 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. Dollop the sour cream onto the baked casserole, then spoon the smashed avocado on too. Scatter with more cilantro, then serve while hot.
