Cowboy Casserole (Tater Tot Casserole)

Name: Cowboy Casserole (Tater Tot Casserole)
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 42 min
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef ((or ground turkey)); ½ onion (diced); 15 ounces canned corn (drained); 10.75 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup ((1 can)); 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; ½ cup milk; ¼ cup sour cream; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; salt and pepper (to taste); 20 ounces frozen tater tots ((1 bag))

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69 Comments

5 from 7 votes

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Ground beef and vegetables in a creamy sauce topped with golden tater tots - this Cowboy Casserole (Tater Tot Casserole) is the perfect weeknight dinner.

Ground beef and vegetables in a creamy sauce topped with golden tater tots – this Cowboy Casserole (Tater Tot Casserole) is the perfect weeknight dinner for the whole family.

I had never had “Cowboy Casserole” (aka Tater Tot Casserole) until after I met my husband and it quickly became a family favorite. This dish is also very affordable and comes together in minutes!

You can throw it together super quick on those super busy weekday nights when you are running all over the place.

Ingredient Notes

Ground beef
Diced onion
Corn
Cream of mushroom soup *
Cheddar cheese
Milk
Sour cream
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Frozen tater tots

ground beef with onions being cooked in a skillet with wooden spoon

How to make Cowboy Casserole (Tater Tot Casserole)

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.
Then, in a large skillet add in the ground beef and diced onion.
Heat it all the way through until the beef is no longer pink and onions are transparent and soft.
Once the beef is cooked pour it into the colander to drain the grease from the meat.
Then return the meat back into the skillet and pour in the can of corn (drained), cheese, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.
After everything has been added to the skillet, stir it all together until everything is well combined.
Then, pour the beef and corn mixture into the 9×13 baking pan and spread it out evenly.
Pull out the frozen tater tots and place them on top of the beef mixture.
Try as best as you can to keep the tater tots to one layer so that everything bakes evenly.
Then just sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top of the tater tots until it is covered.
Now that cowboy casserole is put together, put the 9x 13 pan in the oven uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until you see the cheese start to bubble.
Be sure to check the tater tots and see if they are cooked all the way through.

tater tots in a 9x13 pan for tater tot casserole

Storing and Other Tips

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, making it a convenient option for next-day meals on busy nights.

If you want to add some extra tastes and maybe hide in some veggies, you can always throw in a can of green beans, a bell pepper, green chiles or a bag of frozen veggies. It also tastes delicious with hot sauce!

If you or someone in your family doesn’t like mushrooms, you could also substitute it with cream of chicken or celery, but it will change the overall taste a bit.

Freezer Meal Instructions

Instead of popping it in the oven, after everything is made up and mixed together place the casserole in the freezer.

You will want to be sure that you place the hearty casserole in an aluminum pan that is freezer-friendly. Then be sure to cover it tightly in aluminum foil.

When you are ready to bake it just take it out and thaw it completely before cooking. If it doesn’t thaw the whole way while by the time you are ready to cook it, add on a few more minutes for it to bake to make sure the ground beef mixture is cooked all the way through.

Use the casserole within 2 months to avoid freezer burn.

Serving Suggestions

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Questions & Reviews

Marysue says:

Hi ladies! Love the simplicity and deliciousness of how this recipe looks, but before I make it, I want to confirm a step: I do drain the meat once browned, right? I know that's "a given", but I always ask because I *have* had a few that said No, because there was a purpose for not doing so. Thanks!
Cyd says:

You will want to drain the grease. We made changes to the post! Thanks for alerting us to that correction! Thanks so much for stopping by our blog!!
LoriG says:

Can you add something else in place of Cream of Mushroom soup as my family will not eat anything with mushrooms?!
Deanna Cole says:

We make a version of this that is found in the Dump Casserole cookbook - but is also fondly called the Tater Tot Casserole. We use Cream of Chicken, and instead of onions, we use 1/2 a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix and pour over the cooked hamburger and cream of chicken soup mix. I've also switched it up and used beef gravy or chicken gravy instead of the soup. And to even switch up the tater tot idea even more, we changed the meat, and changed the "sauce"/"gravy". For example, I used diced ham, and made a cheese sauce, then topped w the tater tots. And another version I used chicken and used an alfredo sauce, and topped w tater tots. Of course we change things up w different cheeses each time.
Kary Hines says:

i see the tater tots get crispy on the outside but are they soggy underneath?
Eddie S. says:

Can I use ground venison in lua if the ground beef?
Cyd says:

Yes, you can use ground venison.
Angela says:

What may be a good thing to have with this??? I'm making a large batch for vacation (22 ppl!) and am thinking I may need some sort of side??? Thanks :)
Cyd says:

Grape salad is quick and perfect for summer - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/12/grape-salad-recipe.html Cheddar Bay Biscuits are easy - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/11/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits.html Baked Zucchini Bites - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/01/baked-zucchini-bites-recipe.html Fresh Veggies and Spinach Dip - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/11/fresh-spinach-dip-recipe.html Lunch Lady Brownies - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/04/lunch-lady-brownies.html
marie says:

Instead of baking this has anyone ever tried it in a slow cooker???
Alison says:

I have seen a recipe close to this and it called for tomato soup ...I have made it and it was very good .... and it called for mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar .
Mary says:

My sister in law uses either the Fiesta nacho cheese or the cheddar cheese Campbell's soups.
Donna says:

I have heard of this casserole for years, but never made it until tonight. My family gave it great reviews. There was very little left over by the time we each had several helpings!
Alexis says:

My family loved this especially my 19 month and myself! I accidentally bought condensed mushroom soup so I used that but did everything else as written-yum! Thanks for the recipe! www.hitormisshomemaker.com
Jennifer says:

Can this one be does as a freezer meal? If so, what would be the steps?
Cyd says:

Just make as directed in a pan that can be put in the freezer. Do not bake. Cover tightly and when ready to bake, take out and thaw. Cook as directed. May need a little extra cooking time if not thawed completely. Just watch it closely.
Jessica says:

This has become my family's favorite dish. However, since we don't eat beef, I make it with ground turkey and it's just great. Also, we don't do dairy for the most part, so I've substituted Tofu sour cream, almond milk and non-dairy (Dayia) shredded cheddar cheese. All work perfectly. I've always made it with Cream of Mushroom soup (I know it has some dairy in it) but I'll try it with Cream of Chicken soup next time. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Carla says:

Is this the cowboy casserole a gluten free dish?
Elln says:

Oreida tator tots are gluten free and you can find GF cream of mushroom soup.
Jamie says:

How many calories per serving?
Cyd says:

Scroll down to the bottom of the post and you'll see where it says "Get Nutrition Info"
Jill says:

I've always made mine with Cream of Celery soup and it's great!
Gunter says:

I cooked my tater tots until crisp before adding them. I also partially baked the casserole and then added the crisp tater tots and finished baking the casserole. Then topped it with cheese, etc. It turned out really good, not soggy.
Gunter says:

Correction on my previous comment. I added the crisp tater tots and topped it with cheese and THEN I finished baking it. :o)
Sandy says:

I made this tonight exactly how the recipe instructed. It turned out yummy. The tatertots were crisp and the filling was tasty. Everyone in my family gave it a thumbs up. We’ll make it again!
Brenda says:

I have made this recipe a number of times and it's delicious. I'm expecting baby #1 in a little over a month and am looking for freezer meals. Do you think this would freeze ok?
Cyd says:

Hi Brenda. Congrats on the upcoming baby. How exciting!! I went back and read over the cowboy casserole post. I think you could assemble it and cover well to be used as a freezer meal. Just thaw and cook. It should work great.
Tara says:

Has anyone tried this using onion soup mix? If so how did it turn out?
Angelica Romero says:

I made this casserole with the assumption that my kids (picky teens) might not like it. They loved it! Even the hubby was lovin it! They asked if I could make it at least once a week. Big win! It's so easy to make. Wouldn't change a thing in the recipe.
Nancy Maycock says:

Made this and it was a hit. Will definitely make it again.
sandra says:

My daughter and I made this today. She renamed it Lazy Shepherds Pie! Our first tater tot receipe. Thanks.
Judy McGowan says:

Made this cowboy casserole and it was delicious,would not change a thing in the recipe!
Cherry Kennedy says:

Do you have any nutrition facts for this recipe . I do WW. Wondering how many points and the portion size
Barbara says:

Great taste, very easy. I used turkey instead of hamburger and it was amazing. I also precook my tater tots while the meat is cooking. I've made this several times and it's always a hit. I also used a large can of cream of mushroom with 1 cup of milk. We like it creamy. Reheats well in the microwave.
Barbara says:

It does freeze very nicely.
Tracy Trexler says:

We have done it and since my family is cheese heads, we use cream of cheddar soup.
Leanne says:

Hi, do you thaw the tots ?
Cyd says:

The tots can be frozen.
Kelli says:

Do you drain the corn?
Cyd says:

Yes, drain the corn. It says to drain it on the list of ingredients. Hope this helps.
Susan says:

I love this casserole but I actually prefer the version which doesn’t require precooking the beef. One fewer pan to wash!
Myra says:

I made this today.i used ground pork.everything else i did as written.i also added a can of drained pinto beans and smokey paprika.i used cauliflower tots.it was good.
Ashley says:

If I made this up earlier today and put in the fridge (did not put on tator tots yet) to cook tonight, but plans changed and need to make it tomorrow is it okay to just keep in the fridge? Or do I need to go ahead and put in the freezer for tomorrow. Thanks
Cyd says:

It should be just fine covered and placed in the fridge.
Missy says:

While your recipe calls for the canned soup, and tells when to add it, your comments about making it before the actual recipe don’t mention it. It confused the hell out of me at first, since I just got done watching the video where you make it. “Once the beef is cooked pour it into the colander to drain the grease from the meat. Then return the meat back into the skillet and pour in the can of corn (drained), cheese, milk, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.”
Hannah says:

Do you have nutrition facts for your recipes?
Jen says:

Would it work to use frozen hash browns instead of tater tots?
Cyd says:

Hashbrowns would work too. They could cook a little faster where they are cut smaller. So just watch them closely and you should be just fine.
Jaricia Griess says:

It can be. Use gluten free cream of mushroom soup. Double check on the tater tots though.
Jaricia Griess says:

Only if it is canned. I used frozen. Just mixed with the cooked hamburger. No need to precook.
Jeanne says:

I make this using onion tater tots & Cream of Poblano soup
Melissa Tylinski says:

I want to know if you've used this recipe in your instant pot? I'm traveling with mine and don't have access to an oven. I have prepped for it and have it ready to dump in the pot...but not sure what I would use for the settings/or the slow cook option. Help? I love your videos and your tips btw...I use your youtube channel and another lady all the time for getting to know my instant pot (DUO). It's been so helpful. Thank you!
Cyd says:

Hi Melissa. We have not made this cowboy casserole in the instant pot. But we have a post on converting recipes to the instant pot. Here is the link - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/
Melissa Tylinski says:

Thank you, I saw your post late and unfortunately I tried it in the instant pot the night I wrote the post and got my first "burn" notice on my instant pot. I will use your link you posted. I was hoping your comment would post in my email so I'd see it show up there. This is the first time I'm posting to a website blog. :)
Dorothy Zimmer says:

Great dish but I deep fry my potato tots first
S says:

First recipe i’ve tried from your site, made the casserole ahead of time and added to my freezer meals for the holdays. I knew it would take a bit linger because it was frozen but would have liked an idea of how much time should be added for the freezer version. A houseful of hungry kids, hubby and in-laws was not the ideal time to have to guess at this.
Kay Fay says:

I wonder if you could substitute French fries for the tater tots? We always have half bags of frozen fries we need to use up.
Lynn says:

Lost my recipe for this that someone gave me. Glad I found yours! Added a couple tsp. of dry onion soup mix, partially cooked the tots before putting them on top, otherwise followed your recipe and it was delicious!!!
Billie Thomas says:

My 14 year old ate cowboy casserole for lunch and dinner (rare she asks to eat something twice in same day). Made it on the stovetop and added jalapenos. Yum! Thank you for this recipe!
Momma Cyd says:

Yes, you could definitely use French Fries.
kdhpam says:

Made this recipe & it was delicious!
Becky says:

I have been making this recipe for 4 years now, and all I can say is Thank you!! It's so simple yet so tasty. It's perfect for when i either have to cook late or I'm in a rush. My whole family loves it so much that it has become a staple recipe. So thank you for sharing this recipe.
Momma Cyd says:

Hi Becky. Thanks for making our day with your sweet comment! This is a great recipe when life gets super busy. Best of luck with back to school!
Travis says:

Cream of celery works as well!
Samantha says:

I make this casserole AT LEAST once a week. Working mom of two- this fills the belly wishing you had room for thirds
Annie says:

This was easy and delicious! My Midwest relatives gave it a thumbs up!
Katie says:

There's no measurements for milk or cheese or sour cream...
Momma Cyd says:

You didn't scroll down far enough to the recipe card. All of the measurements and ingredients, along with instructions are all there.
Sarah says:

So yummy! The toddler even loved it! Super easy and delicious!