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cowboy casserole on plate

Cowboy Casserole

Kitchen Ready Betty
This Cowboy Tater Tot Casserole is a hearty, Tex-Mex inspired meal packed with savory ground beef, bacon, beans, and corn in a creamy sauce. topped with a crisp, golden layer of tater tots and melted cheese, it's an effortless, kid-approved dinner that's perfect for busy weeknights!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rest Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 644 kcal

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb lean or extra lean ground beef cooked and drained
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 medium green bell pepper diced
  • ½ cup real bacon crumbles may substitute 3-4 cooked bacon strips
  • 1 can red kidney beans drained, but not rinsed
  • 1 cup defrosted frozen corn may substitute canned corn or fresh corn
  • 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of celery soup may use cream of mushroom, potato, chicken, or asparagus
  • 2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese can substitute with shredded cheddar or pepper jack
  • 28 oz frozen tater tots do not defrost

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375℉.
  • Brown the ground beef in a large skillet; drain.
  • Add diced pepper, chili and onion powder to the skillet; mix. Cook until peppers are soft, usually 10 minutes or less.
  • Place the drained kidney beans, defrosted frozen corn, bacon crumbles and soup in a large bowl; mix.
  • Then add the cooked beef mixture to the bowl. Stir in half of the shredded cheese; mix.
  • Transfer mixture to a greased 13x9 casserole dish.
  • Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the beef mixture.
  • Top with frozen tater tots and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until tater tots are golden crisp and filling is bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
  • For leftover storage, reheating, and make ahead options, see the above post.

Notes

  • To save time, while I'm browning the ground beef, I dice the pepper, drain the beans, defrost the corn and preheat the oven.
  • I sometimes add a can of black beans and diced green chiles to give this more of a Mexican flare.
  • When arranging the frozen tater tots on top, pack them in single file style--no overlapping, or the casserole won't bake evenly!

Nutrition

Calories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 38gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1219mgPotassium: 950mgFiber: 8gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 979IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 347mgIron: 4mg
Keyword cowboy casserole, cowboy casserole recipe, cowboy casserole with tater tots, cowboy tater tot casserole, easy cowboy casserole
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