Cheesy One Pot Cowboy Casserole

Baked Cowboy Casserole in a large pan with avocado and sour cream on top.

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Cheesy One Pot Cowboy Casserole

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 jalapeños, 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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cowboy casserole, mexican beef casserole

Servings: servings

Calories: 683kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the cowboy casserole -

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
1 teaspoon salt
2 oz (50g) Spanish chorizo casing removed and diced
⅓ cup pickled jalapeños chopped (or use 2 fresh jalapeños)
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Black pepper
1 lb (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, or canned
¾ cup water
Handful of fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Frozen tater tots I used 62 tater tots, from a 600g bag

For the toppings -

1 large ripe avocado
1 lime juiced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sour cream
A handful of cilantro chopped

Instructions

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.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: 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 jalapeños and chili powder you use.

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: 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.

Nutrition