Cowboy Casserole Crockpot

Our easy Crockpot cowboy casserole with ground beef recipe has canned black beans, diced tomatoes, corn and russet potatoes in it! If you are looking for the best one pot meal everyone will love, this is the one.

Ok so you too love easy Crockpot recipes like we do but need something new on the meal plan rotation?? I get it, things can get boring but this layered ground beef casserole will certainly be a hit with your kids tonight!

Back in the day I used to make this ground beef casserole with potatoes all the time, then summer hit. I wasn’t about to turn on my oven to heat up my house any hotter than it already was so I started to use my slow cooker all the time instead.

After some experimenting it hit me one day that I could make just about everything in this pot. It was time to tackle the idea of a casserole in it where vegetables, beans and meat could cook in a delicious sauce. As soon as I had the layering instructions down pat it was time to share it with y’all, which is today!

I like to use canned goods as much as possible because it saves me a lot of time and this one is top of the list for that. I mean I have gone all out before with roasted jalapenos but have used canned too and either way it is delicious so easy it is on this round. 😉

Ingredient Notes

I like to add some diced onions as well as a bell pepper (any color you prefer) for added texture and flavor.

As far as the canned items you’ll want to grab black beans, petite diced tomatoes and whole kernel corn. If you want to add canned jalapenos you can opt for that instead of fresh too. If I have made slow cooker black beans the day before I will use those.

As for the liquid needed there is some in the canned tomatoes but you will need beef broth as well. Worcestershire sauce adds a punch of flavor as well as a sprinkle of seasonings here and there, at least some salt.

We love cheese on everything so cheddar cheese is our go to but you could use any variety, shredded. There is a good dairy free version from Daiya if need be, or it could be left out entirely if you prefer.

I do like to add peeled and diced russet potatoes to make it a heartier meal. Red potatoes will stay a bit more firm.

Can you use hash browns?

You could but I would recommend the diced version instead of shredded. I will say that the texture will be softer than if you use fresh so keep that in mind but yes you could use already prepped right out of the bag, frozen, no thawing required.

The meat I use almost always is 80/20 ground beef. You do want a bit of fat in there for flavor. If you have a bit too much grease you can drain it off before adding into the pot but typically I only have a few tbsp so it all goes in there.

Can you use ground sausage?

Yes, I have done that. My favorite combination is actually 1/2 pound HOT Jimmy Dean ground sausage and half beef. This way you get a bit of heat in there and I don’t have to add a spicy element beyond that.

Can you add cornbread?

Now I have made crockpot cornbread before, as is and it turns out well. You could cook on high and then pour the batter over the top of everything for the last 2.5 hours or until the center has set and toothpick comes out clean but it will be wet on the underlayer.

Instead what I recommend is to make Cowboy Cornbread Casserole with cornbread muffins served on the side, or crushed when baked on top of each serving. That way you get the breaded texture on the top but you avoid the mushy layer where the two layers meet.

How Long to Cook Cowboy Casserole in Slow Cooker

Everything is better on low, especially something with a lot of ingredients. It gives everything time to soak in the flavors of the sauce surrounding it so I recommend that heat level for 6 hours. If you are in a hurry you could cook on high for 4 hours but just don’t……..