Viral Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole

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Every single layer of this dish serves a specific purpose in building the ultimate comfort experience. Unlike standard bakes, this specialized Slow Cooker Cowboy Potato Casserole swaps out heavy processed cream soups for a vibrant, zesty tomato and hatch chili foundation. When you gather your Crockpot Cowboy Casserole Ingredients, you are setting yourself up for an incredible contrast of textures, from the starch of the beautifully tender Yukon golds to the pop of sweet corn and hearty kidney beans. It is a complete, well-rounded dinner that feels incredibly decadent while remaining wonderfully straightforward to assemble.

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Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole

Hearty ground beef and potato slow cooker comfort food

★★★★★ 4.9 from 84 reviews

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7h 20m

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef
• ▢ 1 cup finely diced sweet yellow onions
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, undrained
• ▢ 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with juice
• ▢ 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with fire roasted hatch chilies, with juice
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
• ▢ 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced about ⅛ inch thick
• ▢ 1¼ cups Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded

Instructions

• 1
  Coat the interior of your slow cooker lightly using a nonstick cooking spray.
• 2
  Inside a 10-inch nonstick frying pan set over medium-high heat, cook 1 pound ground beef, 1 cup diced onions, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic until all traces of pink disappear from the meat.
• 3
  Pour off any excess fat from the pan and move the browned meat mixture into the prepared slow cooker.
• 4
  Introduce the remaining base components to the slow cooker: 16 oz undrained kidney beans, 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes with juice, 10 oz diced tomatoes with chilies and juice, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder. Blend all the elements together thoroughly until uniform.
• 5
  Take out 1½ cups of the combined meat mixture from the pot and place it aside temporarily.
• 6
  Arrange or nestle 1½ pounds of sliced Yukon Gold potatoes evenly inside the slow cooker. Distribute the set-aside beef mixture uniformly across the potato layer.
• 7
  Secure the lid and let it cook: select the high setting for a duration of 5 hours, or choose the low setting for a duration of 7 hours.
• 8
  Prior to portioning out the meal, scatter 1¼ cups shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese across the surface. Replace the lid briefly to ensure it melts thoroughly. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to peel the Yukon Gold potatoes before slicing them? No peeling required! Yukon Gold potatoes have incredibly thin, delicate skins that soften beautifully during the slow cooking process. Just give them a thorough wash and scrub before slicing them to about 1/8-inch thickness.

Can I substitute the ground beef in this Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole? Absolutely. You can easily swap out the ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, or a lean ground pork without making any changes to the cook times or measurements. Just make sure to brown it completely with the onions and garlic as directed.

Why do I need to set aside 1.5 cups of the meat mixture before layering? Setting aside a portion of the meat mixture to scatter over the top serves a structural purpose! It ensures that the potato layers are sandwiched between layers of savory sauce, allowing them to absorb moisture and cook completely through without drying out.