Cowboy Casserole

• servings: 8 servings
• total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 pound ground sirloin

8 ounces hot pork country sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (such as Campbell's®)

½ cup whole milk

¼ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 ½ cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

1 (32 ounce) package frozen tater tots

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) with a rack in the center position.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings.

Add onion and bell pepper to drippings in skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef and sausage. Cook, stirring, until beef is crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain fat, if desired. Stir in soup, milk, sour cream, salt, and black pepper. Stir in corn, bacon, and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 cup cheese and arrange tots in concentric circles over cheese layer (there will be about 1 1/2 cups tots leftover; reserve for another use).

Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and beef mixture is bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. Recipe developed by Julia Levy

Nutrition

• Calories: 730 kcal
• Total Fat: 46 g
• Saturated Fat: 18 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 129 mg
• Sodium: 1355 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 44 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 38 g