Ground beef is a great protein that is filling, nutritious and inexpensive. But, there are only so many ways that you can use it for dinner. Our easy-to-make recipe for Texas Cowboy Cheesy Beef Casserole adds one more delicious and family-friendly recipe to your ground beef repertoire.
This recipe is probably nothing like what the original cowboys would have eaten on a cattle drive, but the southwestern flavors hearken back to the kinds of food that Texans have eaten for hundreds of years. The flavors of tomatoes, chili peppers, cumin, garlic, and onion have been used in Texas and Mexico for centuries.
In our recipe, we use a seasoning blend that gives you taco-flavored ground beef. The tomatoes and corn are also ingredients that are commonly found in food that is served on the border, as well as in Central America. The chili peppers in the tomatoes give a nice spicy kick to the casserole without being too spicy.
Texas Cowboy Cheesy Beef Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 9 by 13 Inch Baking Pan
- Large skillet
- Spatula
- Medium-Sized Bowl
- Pastry blender
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
Beef Layer Ingredients
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1¼ teaspoons Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1½ teaspoons Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 20 ounces Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis drained
- 15 ounces Canned Corn drained
Biscuit Layer Ingredients
- 3 cups Flour
- 4½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1½ teaspoons Salt
- ½ cup Butter or 1 stick butter
- 1¼ cups Milk
Cream Cheese Toppings Ingredients
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon Dried Chives
- ½ cup Mayo
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking pan or spray it with cooking spray.
- Put the ground beef into a large skillet and brown it, chopping it into small pieces with a spatula. When the beef is fully cooked and no longer pink, remove it from the heat and drain the grease from it.
- Add the water and the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and the salt to the ground beef, stirring it all together with a spatula. Let the meat simmer over medium high heat for about 4 or 5 minutes to allow it to thicken.
- Add the tomatoes with green chilies and the drained canned corn to the beef mixture, stirring it to combine. Turn the heat down to low and prepare the biscuit topping.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda with a fork. Use a pastry blender or a fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture, continuing to chop the butter into small pieces until it resembles cornmeal, with tiny bits of butter evenly distributed through the mixture.
- Stir the milk into the mixture to make it into a sticky dough. Spread this dough mixture into the bottom of your prepared baking pan, spreading it into an even layer.
- Put the ground beef mixture into the pan on top of the biscuit mixture, spreading it into an even layer.
- Using the same bowl as you used for the biscuit mixture, whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is soft and smooth. Add the mayonnaise, chives, onion powder, and the salt.
- Blend it well, and then spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the ground beef mixture in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese on the top of the cream cheese layer.
- Put the baking dish into the oven and bake it for about 40 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before spooning it into bowls to serve.
- Store leftovers covered with aluminum foil in the refrigerator. To reheat, put the whole casserole dish into a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Notes
Meals: All Recipes | Breakfast | Dinner (Mains) | Dessert | Side Dishes | Soups | Appetizers | Salads | Snacks | Beverages
Dishes: Pasta | Chicken | Casseroles | Rice | Potato | Pies | Cookies | Bread | Cakes | Pancakes | Cheesecakes | Scones | Muffins
Related: 26 Cowboy Recipes | Ground Beef Casserole Recipes