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Pioneer Woman Cowboy Casserole Recipe

Pioneer Woman Cowboy Casserole

A comforting and hearty casserole featuring a savory, creamy beef filling with corn and spinach. It's topped with a golden blanket of melted cheese and crispy tater tots, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any weeknight dinner. It's a simple, adaptable, and satisfying meal with a rustic charm.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 530
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 (32-ounce) bag of frozen tater tots
  • 4 strips of thick-cut bacon
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground sirloin (or other ground beef)
  • 1 (10.75-ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon of black pepper, divided
  • 3 cups of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of frozen corn
  • 8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar or colby jack cheese
  • 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
  • Fresh chives or scallions, for topping

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • Large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven
  • Slotted spoon

Method
 

Instructions
  1. First things first, get your oven preheating to 375°F. While it’s coming to temperature, pull your tater tots out of the freezer and spread them on a baking sheet. Letting them thaw just slightly helps them get extra crispy later on.
  2. In a large, oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it’s nice and crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once it’s cool, give it a good chop. Don’t get rid of that bacon grease in the pan—it’s pure gold.
  3. Sauté the chopped onion in the reserved bacon grease for about 5 minutes, until it starts to soften and turn translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute until you can smell its wonderful aroma. Now, add the ground sirloin to the skillet. Break it up with a spoon and cook until it’s completely browned. Make sure to drain off any excess fat.
  4. Time to make it creamy. Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, milk, salt, and about ½ teaspoon of the black pepper. Mix it all together until it’s smooth. Gently fold in the chopped spinach and frozen corn. Let it cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted down into the beefy mixture.
  5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese evenly over the beef mixture. Now, arrange the slightly thawed tater tots in a single, even layer over the top. Get them as close together as you can. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of black pepper over the tots.
  6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown and crispy. Top with the chopped bacon you set aside earlier. Let the casserole rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. This is crucial—it allows the filling to set up a bit. Garnish with fresh chives or scallions and serve hot.

Notes

For extra crispy tater tots, pre-bake them for 10-15 minutes before adding them to the casserole. Ensure you drain excess grease from the beef and allow the casserole to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving to prevent a watery filling. This recipe is adaptable; you can substitute ground turkey or sausage for beef, and use other cream soups. To make it gluten-free, use a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup and check that the tater tots are certified gluten-free.