This hearty cowboy casserole is the ultimate comfort food—layers of seasoned ground beef, creamy sauce, sweet corn, crispy bacon, and melted cheddar, all topped with golden tater tots. It’s an easy, family-friendly dinner that’s rich, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknights.
Course casserole, Comfort Food, Dinner, Family Favorites, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6servings
Calories 536kcal
Ingredients
1/2lbground beef85/15
1cupcornfrozen or canned, drained
2/3cupcream of mushroom soupcondensed
1cupcheddar cheeseshredded, divided
1/3cupmilkwhole
1/4cupsour cream
1tsponion powder
1/2tspblack pepper
1/2cupbaconcooked and crumbled
32oztater totsfrozen
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart. Drain excess fat if needed.
Add corn, cream of mushroom soup, half the cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder, pepper, and bacon. Stir until combined and heated through.
Transfer mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly.
Top with remaining cheese (optional at this stage), then arrange tater tots evenly on top.
Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes until tater tots are golden and crispy.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake an additional 5 minutes until melted.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can customize this casserole by adding jalapeños, swapping in ground turkey, or using different cheeses. Letting it rest briefly helps it hold together when serving.