Crockpot Cowboy Casserole

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray (For lightly spraying the crockpot)
• 1 lb Lean ground beef
• 1 cup Sweet yellow onions (Finely diced)
• 1 tbsp Garlic (Minced)
• 16 oz Dark red kidney beans (Un-drained; canned)
• 14.5 oz Petite diced tomatoes (With juice)
• 10 oz Diced tomatoes and fire-roasted Hatch chilies (With juice)
• 1 cup Frozen corn
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp Fresh cracked black pepper
• 0.25 tsp Chipotle powder
• 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (Sliced about ⅛ inch thick)
• 1.25 cup Colby and Monterey Jack cheese (Freshly shredded)

Steps

1. 1

   Lightly spray the inside of the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.

2. 2

   Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, diced onions, and minced garlic, and brown until the beef is no longer pink.

3. 3

   Drain any excess oil from the browned ground-beef mixture, then transfer the mixture to the sprayed crockpot.

4. 4

   Add the undrained kidney beans, petite diced tomatoes with their juice, diced tomatoes with fire-roasted Hatch chilies and their juice, frozen corn, kosher salt, black pepper, and chipotle powder to the crockpot. Stir to combine.

5. 5

   Remove 1½ cups of the meat mixture from the crockpot and reserve it for topping the potatoes.

6. 6

   Layer or wedge the sliced potatoes into the meat mixture in the crockpot.

7. 7

   Sprinkle the reserved 1½ cups of meat mixture over the potatoes.

8. 8

   Cover the crockpot with its lid and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 7 hours.

9. 9

   Just before serving, remove the lid and sprinkle the shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese over the casserole.

10. 10

    Replace the lid and cook until the cheese is completely melted. Serve hot.

Notes

The source suggests substituting plain yellow onion for sweet onion, garlic powder for minced garlic, other canned bean varieties for kidney beans, chili powder or crushed red pepper flakes for chipotle powder, and sliced red potatoes for Yukon Gold potatoes. Red potatoes may require an additional 30–45 minutes of cooking. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through. Suggested accompaniments include cornbread, garlic bread, breadsticks, salad, or steamed vegetables.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• casserole
• slow-cooked
• crockpot
• family-friendly
• comfort food
• high-protein
• one-pot meal