Cowboy Casserole

A filling casserole with beef, veggies, cheese, and crispy round tater tots.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 680kcal

1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup finely diced yellow onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese (divided use)
15.25 ounce can corn, drained
10.5 ounce can cream of chicken
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
30 ounce bag frozen crispy rounds (about 54 crispy rounds will be used from the bag, see notes below)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley (optional, for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
To a large skillet, add 1 pound lean ground beef and 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion the ground beef and onion. Cook and crumble over medium heat until fully cooked and the juices run clear. Drain any excess grease and put back into the skillet (you can turn off the heat at this point.)
To the skillet, add 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir until combined.
Add 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese, 15.25 ounce can corn, drained, 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup milk . Stir until combined.
Transfer the meat mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Top with the remaining one cup shredded colby jack cheese and then evenly top with frozen crispy crowns (you will use about 54 of the crispy rounds)
Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, or until the crispy rounds are golden brown.
NOTE: If you want to get them extra crispy, you can place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY while anything is under the broiler. Stand by and check constantly to make sure it doesn’t burn because it can burn very fast under the broiler if you aren’t careful.
Top with 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, if using then serve!

Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Crispy rounds are just disc shaped tater tots. I find they cook a lot more evenly and get a bit crispier than the bigger barrel-shaped tater tots but you can use regular tater tots if you can't find these. The mini tater tots might work best. Different stores might call them different things: Tater Crowns, Tater Round, Crispy Rounds, etc. Just look for the flat, round, dish shaped tater tots.