This simple casserole is called cowboy casserole and is the proof that you don’t need a fortune to make tasty meals at home.
With simple ingredients, this recipe can feed a crew on a budget: ground beef and potatoes, tomatoes and kidney beans cooked slowly in the crock pot, with cheese sprinkled over the top just before it is done and left to melt.
So flavorful and super easy to make, this is a hearty and family-friendly casserole that both kids and adults will love!
Super Easy Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole
At a glance
- Time: about 20 minutes of hands-on work, then roughly 7 hours in the slow cooker
- Good for: a budget family dinner you can start in the morning
- You’ll need: cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic, ground beef, onion, potatoes, red kidney beans, salt and pepper, water
Get the full recipe, amounts and method from Amy Flory at Funny Is Family →
Why it is a good budget meal
- Potatoes and beans stretch the beef. A modest amount of ground beef feeds the whole table because the potatoes and kidney beans do most of the filling.
- Pantry-friendly. Apart from the beef and cheese, everything keeps for weeks in the cupboard.
- One pot. Brown the beef, load the crock pot and walk away.
Tips
- Brown and drain the beef first. Raw ground beef in a slow cooker turns greasy and grey.
- Cut the potatoes the same size. Even chunks cook at the same pace, so you are not left with some hard and some falling apart.
- Waxy potatoes hold their shape (red or Yukon Gold); russets go softer and thicken the sauce more. Both work.
- Add the cheese at the end only. Cheese cooked for hours turns oily and tough.
- Make it your own: a can of green chiles, a spoon of chili powder or a little smoked paprika gives it more of a cowboy kick.
- Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and reheat well.
What to serve with it
Cornbread, a simple green salad, or a dollop of sour cream and some sliced green onions on top.
You may also like
- Easy hobo dinner in the slow cooker
- Crock pot beef enchilada casserole
- Shredded hash brown casserole with ground beef
- Funeral potatoes (cheesy potato casserole)
- Slow cooker green chile chicken taco boats
- What size slow cooker do you need?
Thanks to Amy Flory for this wonderful recipe and featured image.
Sharing on https://www.facebook.com/Fiercefork/
ya
gonna make this
Gonna try this one!!
YUUMMMY
Link contains a virus
Ummm
We tried it but didn’t care for it at all. We were surprised because it sounded so good….just didn’t live up to our expectations at all.
Had no problem with the link at all. No virus attached.
Yum
Looks good
Had no problem either
Yum.
Yum
Lost me at kidney beans. Dont know any kids that would come running for those
Don’t bother. It was gross.
Couldn’t get the recipe
Tori Smitherman Rodriguez
Looks good
Looks yummy
Jerry Fisher
Yum
Looks like cat throw up
Looks yummy
I made this it was very good.
This looks great for a busy day..love everything in it…
Sounds yum!
Yummy
Yummy
Looks yummy
Looks yummy
yum
Devona Jean Bordwine
That would require groceries that i dont have momma. 🙁
Tracey Walker Freeman
Good
Yummy
Joni A Muchler
It was pretty good
Yummy
Yummy
yum
Yummy
Looks good
Sound good!!
look & sound good
all these recipes I see look great… but I have a very picky husband. No ranch, sour cream, tomatoes, peppers of any kind, or cream cheese… only veggies he will eat are green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and corn. These veggies can be with butter only… won’t eat them any other way. I have looked at thousands of recipes…. can anyone offer some suggestions?
Jennifer Lynne Chandler
OMG…I made this b4 and it’s REALLY good.!!!
cook for him..his way and cut the others in half and make for you and the rest of the family…..just an idea..
i cut most in half for justtwo people.
Divorce?? Just kidding.
posts like this are why I like facebook
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