📋 Easy Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole recipe

a bowl of cowboy casserole in front of a crock pot

4.67 from 3 votes

📋 Easy Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole recipe

This Easy Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole is a healthy, quick, and easy dump-and-go recipe. Made with extra lean ground beef, whole grain rice, beans, tomatoes, and corn, then smothered in melted cheese, it's a hearty meal in one dish. The best part is, you dump everything in the crock pot, walk away and let the crockpot do the cooking for you!

Course dinner

Cuisine American, Canadian, North American

Keyword casserole, cowboy, crockpot, slow cooker

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 10

Servings servings

Calories 379kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb extra lean ground beef
3 cups uncooked rice (I use whole grain brown rice) *do NOT use minute rice
12 oz can of corn
19 oz can of kidney beans
10 oz can of navy beans
3 Cans Rotel (10 oz each)
1 ounce - package of taco seasoning
3 teaspoon garlic
3 tablespoon jarred jalapenos (I used tamed)
1 whole onion, diced
½ teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro
4 cups cheddar cheese * I use light

Garnish (optional)

additional fresh cilantro
salsa
sour cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Layer the bottom of the crockpot with extra lean raw ground beef.
Next add the rice.
Then add everything else (except cheese) **DO NOT DRAIN ANYTHING!
Gently stir, trying not to mix in the ground beef or rice (but it's okay if some of it gets mixed) . * If you are around, you can stir the whole thing ½ way through the cooking process as well, but it's not critical if you can't.m
Cook in crockpot on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, stirring halfway through, if possible.
Melt cheddar cheese before serving. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro, salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

Notes

VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

Rice - you can use white rice or brown rice, but do NOT use Instant rice (or minute rice). You need to use regular (short or long grain ) for this recipe
Navy beans - you could substitute Pinto beans, black beans, Cannellini beans, or Great Northern beans

Kidney beans - you can use chili beans if you prefer

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, hot sauce, or chili powder while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or add additional jalapeno pepper

Cilantro - you can use dried cilantro if you don't have fresh, but you'll only need half the amount

Garlic - you can use jarred minced garlic or 1. 5 teaspoon of garlic powder, if you don't have fresh garlic

Onions - if you don't have onions, you could substitute with 1 teaspoon of onion powder

Rotel - is simply diced tomatoes with green chiles and some spices. If you can't find Rotel, you can use canned tomatoes and canned green chilies.

Add-ins - you can add in a can of green beans or use fresh bell peppers as well

STORAGE:

Fridge: Store this hearty casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: It freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm in the oven or microwave.

Nutrition