Cattle Drive Casserole is a hearty and flavorful layered dish inspired by the rugged spirit of the Old West together with a Tex-Mex influence.
This kid-friendly casserole is a delicious meal and the ultimate comfort food. It’s perfect for family gatherings, potlucks, or cozy family dinners.
What Is Cattle Drive Casserole?
Think of this as a “souped up” easy ground beef casserole recipe, or hamburger casserole. It includes zesty flavors of taco seasoning, Fiesta Blend or shredded cheddar cheese and diced green chiles. All of this, on top of a biscuit layer.
I’ve seen variations of this called Cowboy Casserole or John Wayne Casserole. It makes quite a bit so it’s perfect for family gatherings or potlucks. It’s not spicy (unless you include some of the add-ins below), so it’s perfect for the kids too.
Ingredients
This recipe is made in layers then baked until bubbly. The ingredients are fairly common and perfect for lovers of Tex-Mex cuisine.
Biscuit Layer
Use a biscuit mix to make the biscuit layer. We use Pioneer brand but you can also use Bisquick mix. There are small boxes of biscuit mix at the store you can use. The best variation I’ve seen is to use Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix for this layer. You can’t go wrong with extra cheese!
Pro Tip: No time for making the biscuit dough? You can use two tubes of biscuits in the refrigerator section of your store. Simply press them in well before the initial baking.
Ground Beef Layer
The ground beef layer is made with onion, bell pepper and packet taco seasoning for flavor. Use ground turkey or ground chicken for a lighter version.
Sour Cream Mixture
The sour cream layer is flavored with cheese and green chiles. A little bit of mild salsa is added to the top for extra flavor and color.
More Cheese
End with a nice layer of shredded cheese because there’s nothing better than a cheesy casserole.
I specifically wanted this recipe to work for a busy family so I’ve used pre-shredded cheese. But, if you want to use block cheese, even better.
Block Cheese vs. Pre-Shredded Cheese
Block cheese, when shredded, will melt much more easily. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating on it that keeps the pieces from mashing together in the bag.
I saw a tiktok the other day where someone rinsed off the shredded cheese before using. Do you think that’s a thing? Seemed kind of far fetched but I guess you never really know.
Variations and Add-Ins
The beauty of a casserole like this is that you could use all your favorite add-ins. Think of everything you love in a burrito and you can be enjoying a hearty meal to mimic your favorite burrito or taco in no time.
Making It Spicy
This casserole isn’t spicy, but you can make it spicy, if you like. Add chopped jalapenos when you’re adding the onions and bell pepper to the ground beef. Or, layer some pickled jalapenos on top of the sour cream layer or on the very top. Use spicy salsa instead of mild.
I prefer to spice things up individually too, on the plate. My personal favorite is Rooster sauce, sriracha. Or, maybe sprinkle on some cayenne or ground jalapeno.
Other Add-Ins
Try adding frozen corn kernels to the ground beef layer. You could also add some cooked pinto beans or about one cup cooked rice.
Crush some Fritos corn chips or Doritos on top of the ground beef layer, before adding the sour cream mixture. If you want to live on the edge, break up some Taki’s spicy chips instead.
If you like black olives, you can add those as well. Green olives, too. Sure! Why not?
To make everything last longer for a bigger family, you can add another layer with rice. Have you seen those packets of Spanish rice at the store? Just mix up a batch, or maybe you have some leftover in the refrigerator. Rice makes a good filler layer and stretches the budget. Note that you may need a slightly larger baking dish.
More Recipes You May Like
If you like this recipe, I’m sure you’ll like these as well.
- Pork Tamale Casserole
- Mexican Stuffed Shells
- Sour Cream Enchiladas (Tacos de Jocoqui)
- Green Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe
Cattle Drive Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- Large skillet
- 2 Medium mixing bowls
- 9 x 13" casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Red Bell Pepper seeded, chopped
- 1 Yellow Onion chopped
- 1 ounce Taco Seasoning Mix
- 2 ½ cups Biscuit Mix like Bisquick
- 1 cup Water
- Cooking Spray like Pam
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 4 ounces Diced Green Chiles drained
- 1 ½ cups Cheddar Cheese Fiesta Blend, shredded, divided
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ cup Salsa mild
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Place ground beef in skillet. Break apart with spoon and cook on medium high until no longer pink, stirring as necessary. Drain off excess fat. (You can make the biscuit dough while the meat is cooking.)
- Place biscuit mix and water in mixing bowl. Stir together. This is best done with your hands to get it thoroughly mixed. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and press the dough into it, filling all the way out to the edges. Place in preheated oven and bake for 5-8 minutes until set and lightly golden. Set aside. Do not turn off oven.
- Add chopped onions and red bell pepper to ground beef. Stir and continue cooking about 4 minutes. Add taco seasoning mix, stir well to coat. Remove from stove.
- Add the ground beef mixture on top of the biscuit layer and spread evenly all the way to the edges.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, drained green chiles, ¾ cup shredded cheese and garlic powder. Mix well. Carefully spread sour cream mixture as a layer on top of the ground beef mixture.
- Add small spoonfuls of salsa intermittently over the top of the sour cream layer. No need to spread it thin. Add the remaining shredded cheese evenly on top.
- Place in preheated oven, uncovered. Bake for 30 minutes until warm and bubbly.
Notes
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result. 2019-2026 Kim Guzman and Christian Guzman. All rights reserved. 24Bite®
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Delicious looking casserole! I just bought some green chiles. I think I know what I’m making with it. Thanks for the recipe!
My family loved this recipe. Great flavor and so easy to make too!
A great midweek meal full of superb flavours, the kids loved this recipe 🙂
This is a great casserole recipe! An easy meal to make for busy weeknights. Thanks for the recipe share!
This casserole looks exactly like something my entire family will love!! I am saving this for when they visit on Wednesday. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Oh my gosh! Such a mouthwatering dish to make. Seeing this makes me really hungry, yum!
Wow! This casserole dish looks amazingly delicious! The presentation makes it so enticing and very appealing! I just love the juiciness of this recipe!
Can you do this in an 8×8 pan instead?
I think this will be pretty versatile for you. At the number of servings portions of the recipe, change it to 6 servings and round up those portions of the ingredients. I’ve never tried it, but it’s what I would try. Good luck and thank you for writing!
can this be frozen. Need things I can double and freeze one. Not sure because of the topping
I wouldn’t freeze this one. I’m not sure the sour cream and mayo would freeze well.
Can I use homemade biscuit dough for the biscuit layer? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
I have used biscuit dough made from Pioneer and Bisquick. I’ve also used prepared biscuits in a can. I’ve never used regular biscuit dough made from flour, butter, etc., but I’m sure it will work the same as the shortcuts above. I look forward to hearing how it works out for you!
Can I use RO *TEL instead of salsa it also has green chillies in it and would I have to use another can of green chillies with it, it sounds really delicious the recipe, I stocked up on RO*TEL because taco spaghetti is one of our favorites.
I’ve never tried it in this recipe, but it sounds like you can absolutely substitute it for the salsa and green chiles. Take note of whether your rotel has mild or hot green chiles so you know what to expect. I hope that helps!
Can this be made with tater tots?
Do you mean instead of the biscuit crust? Yes, I would think you could make a potato crust. I’ve done it in a tater tot casserole. I smashed the tater tots really well with a cup before adding the other ingredients, just to make sure that it held together when baking. I’ve also used those oval shaped frozen hashbrown patties in the same way.