Crockpot Cowboy Casserole
This Crockpot Cowboy Casserole is a hearty, one-pot meal made with ground beef, potatoes, beans, and a creamy scratch-made sauce—no canned shortcuts needed. It’s an easy dump-and-go dinner that’s budget-friendly, family-approved, and perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cups diced potatoes fresh or frozen hash browns work
- 1 can corn, drained (or 1½ cups frozen) 15 oz can
- 1 can black beans or kidney beans, drained 15 oz can
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel-style) 10 oz can
Sauce (No “Cream Of” Needed)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Finish
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Brown the beef
- In a skillet, cook ground beef with diced onion until browned. Drain excess grease.
- Make the quick scratch sauce
- In the same pan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
- Whisk in milk and seasonings. Cook until slightly thickened (2–3 minutes).
Layer it up
- In your crockpot:
- Add potatoes
- Top with beef mixture
- Add corn, beans, and tomatoes
- Pour sauce over everything
- Cook low and slow
- LOW: 6–7 hours
- HIGH: 3–4 hours
- Until potatoes are tender.
Cheese it up
- Sprinkle cheese over the top in the last 15–20 minutes. Cover and let it melt.