15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes or so in the oven and this Cowboy Casserole is ready to put in front of your hungry family! It's a quick and easy weeknight dinner that even your fussiest eater will love.
Place Tater Tots in a greased pan and put them in a 425F oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Add the ground beef and onions & peppers mix to a skillet. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Add the Ro*Tel and simmer for 5 minutes to let the extra liquid evaporate.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, corn, and ½ cup of cheese.
Stir until blended.
Spoon into the bottom of a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle with ¾ cup of the remaining cheese.
Top with the Tater Tots, arranging them in a single layer.
Cover with the remaining cheese.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
You can stop at this point and put the casserole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Bake at 425F for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil.
Bake 10 more minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Serve hot.
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Notes
StorageThis easy casserole recipe is a great way to make one meal that lasts all week. It's also fabulous to make ahead as a freezer meal for busy nights.Refrigerator Storage: Uncooked cowboy casserole stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Once cooked and cooled, you can move the leftovers to an airtight container or use a casserole dish with a lid to store it for up to 5 days.Freezer Storage: After adding the tater tots and cheese on top, wrap the unbaked casserole with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. After cooking, you can freeze leftover cowboy casserole in an airtight container or freezer bag for the same amount of time.To reheat: To reheat, cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 375°F until warmed through.Tips
You can make cowboy casserole in your slow cooker. Just spray the inside with non-stick spray, layer the ingredients like you would for the casserole dish, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Put this together this up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake and serve.
You can also freeze the baked casserole, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in your refrigerator and bake as directed.
Make this even more budget friendly by stretching it with a can of Ranch style, pinto or black beans. Just add with the corn. Drain the black or pinto beans but leave the sauce on the Ranch style if you're using those.
No Tater Tots? Use mashed potatoes, au gratin potatoes, or cornbread batter over the top!
Make this is small, foil tart pans or mini-loaf pans and freeze for individual sized servings. Perfect for those times when everyone in the entire family is going in different directions.