The Ultimate Cowboy Casserole

This Cowboy Casserole recipe has ground beef, soup, hash browns and cheese all baked together into one tasty entrée! Perfect for any brunch or dinner. I changed it up a bit from the original tator tot recipe. I also replaced the corn with pinto beans because I’m pretty sure that those cowboys always had pinto beans on their wagon trains. Besides, I love pinto beans and wanted to make the change…LOL.. Let me know what you think about this version and y’all enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion diced
1 green or red bell pepper diced
1 can pinto beans
1 bag Simply Potatoes® Shredded Hash browns
1 can Rotel® tomatoes
1/4 cup sour cream
1 can cream of bacon soup (or whatever cream of soup you like)
1/3 cup milk
2-3 cloves garlic minced
2 cups Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
3/4-1 cup Frenchs® fried onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon dried chives

In a large cast iron skillet brown ground beef and drain of fat.
Add onions and pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes until softened.
Now add the garlic and stir to combine. Watch closely so garlic doesn’t burn.
Salt and pepper the ground beef mixture.
Add in all spices except for the chives along with the Rotel® and mix well.
Next add in the cream of bacon soup and the milk. Mix well.
After cooking 1-2 minutes add the pinto beans, sour cream. Stir to combine.
Add the fried onions and mix well. Turn off heat and remove from burner
Add the shredded potatoes and spread evenly over the meat mixture.
Now cover with remaining cheese and sprinkle the dried chives over top.

Bake uncovered in a preheated 435°F oven 25-35 minutes until browned on top and bubbly around the edges.

If you are using a casserole dish instead of cast iron pan, just pour all ingredients in the casserole dish before adding the hash browns and cheese, then proceed with them.