Cowboy Casserole
Beef mince, baked beans and sweetcorn under a crust of tater tots, baked in one dish. Six servings in 55 minutes, all from tins and the freezer.
Cowboy casserole looks like a shepherd's pie and cooks like chili. The filling is mince with beans and sweetcorn in a smoky tomato sauce, and the topping is a single layer of frozen potato nuggets that bake into a crisp lid.
There is no peeling or mashing, which is most of the appeal. Everything comes from a tin, a bag or the freezer.
Brown the mince hard before anything else goes in. Grey mince gives grey sauce, and nothing later in the recipe can fix it.
Arrange the tots in tight rows, not a heap, so the whole surface gets crisp. If the filling is thin, bubbling it for 5 minutes before the tots go on stops them sitting in liquid. The filling can be made ahead and kept in the fridge, with the potato topping added just before baking so it stays crisp. For a milder pot, use less chili powder, and let people add hot sauce at the table.
Quick Answers
How long does Cowboy Casserole take to make?
About 55 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 6.
What are the key tips for making Cowboy Casserole?
Bubble the filling for a few minutes before the topping goes on so it is not watery. If you do not own an ovenproof pan, transfer the filling to a baking dish. Check at 25 minutes; ovens vary and the nuggets brown quickly.
What should I serve with Cowboy Casserole?
Coleslaw; Green salad; Sour cream; Hot sauce.
Can Cowboy Casserole be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven for 20 minutes so the topping crisps. The unbaked filling freezes for up to 3 months.
Is Cowboy Casserole suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Cowboy Casserole?
About 556 kcal per serving, with 28 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate and 28 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
How to Make Cowboy Casserole
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
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Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C / 355°F fan). Brown the mince in a large ovenproof pan for 8 minutes, breaking it up. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes.
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Stir in the beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, ketchup, paprika and salt. Simmer for 8 minutes until thick.
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Level the filling. Arrange the potato nuggets over the top in tight rows and scatter with the cheese.
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Bake for 30 minutes until the nuggets are golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Worth Getting Right
- Bubble the filling for a few minutes before the topping goes on so it is not watery.
- If you do not own an ovenproof pan, transfer the filling to a baking dish.
- Check at 25 minutes; ovens vary and the nuggets brown quickly.
Serve It With
Coleslaw · Green salad · Sour cream · Hot sauce
Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven for 20 minutes so the topping crisps. The unbaked filling freezes for up to 3 months.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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