Cattle Drive Casserole is a layered Tex-Mex bake: a cheddar biscuit crust on the bottom, taco-seasoned ground beef with fire-roasted tomatoes and green chiles in the middle, then a creamy layer of sour cream, mayonnaise and Colby Jack, finished with more cheese. It bakes in one 9×13 dish and serves 8.
How to make it: Mix the biscuit dough, spread it in the dish and par-bake it for 5 to 8 minutes. Brown the beef with onion, season it with taco seasoning, tomatoes and chiles, and spread it over the crust. Top with the creamy cheese layer and more cheese, then bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- A built-in bread layer: the biscuit crust bakes up soft and cheesy under the beef.
- Taco night in a pan: beef, tomatoes, green chiles and taco seasoning.
- Creamy and cheesy: a sour cream, mayonnaise and Colby Jack layer melts over the top.
- About an hour: 15 minutes of prep, then the oven does most of the work.
Ingredient Notes
Cheddar biscuit mix: One box, about 11.36 ounces, with its seasoning packet stirred into the dough. Plain biscuit mix works too; see the variations.
Ground beef and onion: One pound of beef, browned with a diced onion and drained well.
Tomatoes and green chiles: A 14.5-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained, and a 4-ounce can of diced green chiles with their liquid.
Taco seasoning: One packet, simmered into the beef with 1/4 cup of water.
The creamy layer: Half a cup each of mayonnaise and sour cream, mixed with 1 cup of the Colby Jack.
Colby Jack: Two cups, shredded, split between the creamy layer and the top.
Ingredients
- 1 box Cheddar Bay biscuit mix (about 11.36 ounces), with its seasoning packet
- 3/4 cup cold water, for the biscuit mix
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water, for the taco seasoning
- 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes (1 can), drained
- 4 ounces diced green chiles (1 can), undrained
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, optional, for topping
How to Make Cattle Drive Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make the crust. In a medium bowl, mix the biscuit mix, including its seasoning packet, with 3/4 cup cold water until just combined. Spread the dough evenly over the bottom of the dish; if it is too sticky, spray your clean hands lightly and press it out.
3. Par-bake. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, just until the dough is set. Set it aside.
4. Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef with the onion, breaking up the meat, until browned and fully cooked (160°F). Drain any excess grease.
5. Season. Stir in the taco seasoning, 1/4 cup water, the drained tomatoes and the green chiles. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Layer. Spread the beef mixture evenly over the par-baked crust. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese and spread it over the beef. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top.
7. Bake. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is melted and bubbly and the center reaches 165°F. Let it cool for 5 minutes and sprinkle with the parsley before serving.
What Is Cattle Drive Casserole, and How Do You Keep the Crust From Going Soggy?
Cattle drive casserole is a biscuit-bottomed taco bake. The crust is made from a boxed biscuit mix, the middle is seasoned ground beef, and the top is a creamy cheese layer, so every square has bread, beef and cheese in it. It is close to a John Wayne casserole, but here the crust starts from a dry biscuit mix instead of canned biscuits, and green chiles and fire-roasted tomatoes go in with the beef.
The crust is the part to get right. Par-baking the dough for 5 to 8 minutes, just until it is set, gives it a head start so it doesn’t turn soggy under the beef. Take it out as soon as it is set; it finishes baking with everything on top.
Keep extra liquid out of the pan, too. Drain the beef well after browning, and drain the canned tomatoes before they go into the skillet. The green chiles go in with their liquid, and the mixture simmers with the taco seasoning for 2 to 3 minutes before you spread it over the crust.
The dough is sticky. Spray your clean hands lightly with cooking spray and press it out to the edges of the dish rather than fighting it with a spoon.
Tips for Success
How do I spread the creamy layer without tearing up the beef?
Drop spoonfuls of the sour cream mixture over the beef and gently spread them together with the back of the spoon.
How do I cut neat squares?
Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes after baking before you cut it.
Can I make it spicier?
Yes. Add sliced jalapeños with the beef, or dot a little salsa over the creamy layer before the last of the cheese goes on.
Variations
- With plain biscuit mix: stir 2 1/2 cups of biscuit mix with 1 cup of water, adding a little more water if needed, until a soft dough forms. Press it into the dish, par-bake it for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly golden, and add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the sour cream layer. Bake it at 350°F. With plain mix, the casserole can take up to 1 1/2 pounds of beef.
- Cheesy crust: mix the cheddar biscuit mix with 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar and 3/4 cup of milk instead of water, and stir the mix’s garlic herb packet into the sour cream layer.
- With peppers: cook a diced red bell pepper with the beef and onion.
- Chiles in the creamy layer: drain the green chiles and stir them into the sour cream mixture instead of the beef.
- Cowboy style: add black olives, sliced jalapeños and a thin layer of salsa before the last of the cheese, and pat the dough about 1/2 inch up the sides of the dish.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat portions, covered, in the oven or microwave until they reach 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with shredded lettuce, extra sour cream and salsa. For more hearty beef casseroles, try Big Mac casserole, stuffed pepper casserole or hobo casserole. If you like the Tex-Mex flavors, there’s tamale casserole, and for slow cooker nights, slow cooker Amish beef and corn casserole and slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cattle drive casserole?
A layered bake of biscuit crust, taco-seasoned ground beef with tomatoes and green chiles, and a creamy sour cream, mayonnaise and cheese topping, baked until bubbly and cut into squares.
Can I use Bisquick instead of cheddar biscuit mix?
Yes. Use 2 1/2 cups of biscuit mix with 1 cup of water, as in the variation above, and add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the creamy layer.
Do I have to par-bake the crust?
It is worth the few minutes. The short bake sets the dough so it doesn’t turn soggy under the wet beef layer.
What size pan do I need?
A 9×13-inch casserole dish. Press the biscuit dough all the way out to the edges so the crust covers the whole bottom.
Final Notes
Par-bake the crust, drain the beef and tomatoes, and let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before you cut it. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Cattle Drive Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 box Cheddar Bay biscuit mix about 11.36 ounces, with its seasoning packet
- 3/4 cup cold water for the biscuit mix
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water for the taco seasoning
- 14.5 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 can, drained
- 4 ounces diced green chiles 1 can, undrained
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix the biscuit mix, including its seasoning packet, with 3/4 cup cold water until just combined. Spread the dough evenly over the bottom of the dish; if it is too sticky, spray your clean hands lightly and press it out.
- Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, just until the dough is set. Set it aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef with the onion, breaking up the meat, until browned and fully cooked (160°F). Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, 1/4 cup water, the drained tomatoes and the green chiles. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spread the beef mixture evenly over the par-baked crust. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese and spread it over the beef. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is melted and bubbly and the center reaches 165°F. Let it cool for 5 minutes and sprinkle with the parsley before serving.
