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The Magical Slow Cooker » Recipes » Dinner » Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole

by Sarah Olson on May 19, 2019 | Updated May 9, 2022 188 Comments

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collage of photos of john wayne casserole with text overlay that says: Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole is made with tater tots with southwestern flair and lots of cheese!

I love making casseroles in the slow cooker if you want to try a few other great ones try my Chicken Cordon Bleu or Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipes.

casserole in the slow cooker with bell pepper and tomato on top.

Not your average recipe today! I made this drool-worthy Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole for dinner the other night. I’ve wanted to try an oven version of John Wayne casserole for years, but never got around to doing it. I thought, why not make it in the slow cooker?

The history on John Wayne Casserole and my changes

I don’t think John Wayne had anything to do with the casserole. I believe the name of this came about because it’s western themed, but still, this is a fun recipe to try.  The original John Wayne casserole recipe that I’ve found is made with biscuit mix, but one of the reviewers on Food.com said that she had a version of this casserole made with tater tots at a restaurant. BINGO! That’s how this recipe can be made perfect in the slow cooker,  with tater tots.

tater tot casserole in the slow cooker with cheese, bell pepper and tomatoes on top.

I have a beloved standard tater tot casserole recipe that I adore on my site, so I knew exactly how to assemble this new creation. I also make a chicken and bacon tater tot casserole that you must try too!

How to make John Wayne Casserole:

tater tots, ground beef, cheese, bell pepper, sour cream, and onion in front of slow cooker.

You will need:

  •  tater tots
  •  ground beef
  •  bell pepper
  •  onion
  •  sour cream
  •  taco seasoning 
  •  cheese
  •  salt, pepper, onion powder

I add the bag of tater tots to my slow cooker. Then I brown a pound of hamburger with bell pepper, onion, taco seasoning, and water, I pour that meat mixture over the tots.

ground beef in slow cooker with taco seasoning, bell pepper and onion.

Then I make a sour cream and cheese mixture with a bit of seasoning and spread that on top of the meat.

cheese and sour cream over ground beef in the slow cooker.

Cook on LOW for 4.5 hours, and topped with more cheese, I put the lid back on the slow cooker and the cheese melts in minutes.

John Wayne casserole in the slow cooker with bell pepper and tomatoes on top.

I like to serve this delicious casserole with tomatoes on top. When I say this meal was the bomb, I mean it! I was seriously licking my plate! Try it, you’ll love it!

john wayne casserole in an oval slow cooker with wooden spoon in it.

I want to do a shout-out to my favorite cheese company Tillamook. If you ever visit the Oregon coast you must visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory! We do it once a year. Tillamook was a sponsor at the Indulge Conference I went to recently. We arrived in our hotel room to find that Tillamook stocked our mini fridge with cheese! That was possibly the best gift ever.

wooden spoon in John Wayne casserole in the slow cooker.

Other wonderful Slow Cooker Ground Beef Recipes:

  • Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
  • Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin
  • Slow Cooker Hobo Dinner
  • Slow Cooker Hamburger Potato Casserole
  • Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers
  • Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
  • Slow Cooker Lipton Onion Meatloaf
  • Slow Cooker Hamburger Hash

Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram,Pinterest and YouTube.

Slow cooked casserole with ground beef, sour cream, melted cheese, tomato and bell pepper on top.

Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole

4.95 from 38 votes
A southwestern beefy casserole over tater tots.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 541kcal
Author: Sarah Olson

Equipment Needed:

  • Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger

Ingredients:

  • 32 oz. bag tater tots (frozen, not thawed)
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 oz. taco seasoning mix (I use Lawry's)
  • water add the amount of water to the meat that the taco mix says to add, 2/3 cup is what my packet said
  • 16 oz. sour cream
  • 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (divided, half in sour cream mixture and half on top at the end)
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder

optional toppings

  • diced tomatoes
  • bell peppers
US Customary – Metric

Instructions:

  • Spray a 6-quart oval slow cooker with non-stick spray. Add the tater tots down in an even layer, so there isn't a high spot.
  • In a large skillet, set over medium high heat, brown the hamburger, onions and bell pepper. When the meat is browned, drain the fat. Add the amount of water the taco packet says to add to the meat (my packet said to add 2/3 cup). Add the taco packet, and continue cooking and stirring until the meat and the seasoning has thickened.
  • Pour the meat mixture over the tater tots in the slow cooker.
  • In a medium sized bowl add the sour cream, salt, pepper, onion powder, and half of the cheese (this is about a heaping cup of shredded cheese, save the other half to top the casserole at the end.)
  • Spread this sour cream cheese mixture over the meat mixture in the slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 4.5 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
  • After the cooking time is up add the remaining cheese evenly over the casserole.
  • Cover and let the cheese melt, this will only take about 5-10 minutes.
  • To serve, top with diced tomatoes.
  • Enjoy!
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How to Video:

Recipe Notes:

This recipe is very mild if you desire a more spicy version try pepper-jack cheese or replacing the bell pepper with jalapeno.
Nutritional values are approximate. If you require a special diet, please use your own calculations. Values below are for 1/8 of the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 1061mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1025IU | Vitamin C: 23.6mg | Calcium: 293mg | Iron: 2.5mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe?I want to see your photos! Tag me on Instagram @themagicalslowcooker

First published 06/04/2015

Updated 05/19/2019

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    58412 shares
    • 13790

    Filed Under: Beef, Dinner, Ground Beef

    Comments

    1. Annie says

      November 25, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      I’ve made this several times – for family at home and for church pot lucks. It’s delicious, and everyone LOVES it every time!

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        November 27, 2017 at 11:12 am

        so great to hear Annie!

        Reply
      • Anonymous says

        July 15, 2019 at 6:49 pm

        can you do the same thing in skillet

        Reply
    2. Debbie says

      July 29, 2017 at 9:23 am

      Thank you for a great recipe!
      I made this in the oven. I cooked it at 350 F for 45 mins covered with foil and then took the foil off and cooked it for 15 mins more. It was a little dry so next time I might add a can of diced tomatoes or rotels. The reason I cooked it so long was I wanted to make sure that a whole bage of tater tots got cooked in a 9×13 pan. But all in all it was really good.

      Reply
    3. Annie Welsh says

      May 11, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Trying this tonight! Only had about a quarter bag of tater tots in the freezer, so I added some seasoned curly fries… figured potato is potato… Haha! I’ll see how it turns out!

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        May 12, 2017 at 2:09 pm

        How did this turn out? I’m so curious!

        Reply
        • Annie Welsh says

          May 12, 2017 at 2:21 pm

          It turned out just fine! Didn’t cause anything to go wrong and the family enjoyed it!

    4. Patricia Ehn says

      March 14, 2017 at 6:54 pm

      I am doing a low carb diet I wonder how it would be without tater tots?

      Reply
    5. Sharon Davis says

      January 27, 2017 at 6:19 pm

      my slow cooker quit on me last week so I’m making this in a 9X13 pan and will cook it in 1 hour I think!

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        January 27, 2017 at 8:58 pm

        I think so!

        Reply
    6. Kathy says

      December 14, 2016 at 5:13 pm

      Sorry, tried this and would not try again.

      Reply
    7. Cynthia Young-Johnson says

      November 18, 2016 at 1:38 am

      I’ve made regular John Wayne casserole and I am excited to try this. The tater tots are a good substitution for the crust on the bottom of regular JW casserole. One thing missing, however, is the jalapenos. I’ve always thought they gave the casserole a lot of flavor. They could be used as a garnish I guess if there are people eating the dish who have a sensitivity to peppers.

      Reply
    8. ko says

      November 8, 2016 at 10:43 am

      I will use diced fresh hatch green chilies since they are healthier than green bell peppers………love the recipe

      Reply
    9. Jen niksich says

      November 4, 2016 at 5:52 pm

      My husband doesn’t like green peppers. Any suggestions for a substitute? I love them! Maybe mince them so he doesn’t really see them? Or maybe a green chili mix?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        November 4, 2016 at 6:31 pm

        You can leave them out! I think it would be fine 🙂

        Reply
    10. Neely says

      September 14, 2016 at 11:32 am

      Could I use french fries in place of the tots??

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        September 14, 2016 at 3:12 pm

        I don’t know how that would work. The tots work well because they are browned slightly before they are frozen. I’m thinking the fries may be bland.

        Reply
    11. mary heckman says

      August 16, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      Love the recipe idea! Would it be possible to use my programmable “casserole crockpot” ?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        August 16, 2016 at 4:06 pm

        I think so! Since it is a casserole meal. My advice is to keep the lid on the entire cooking time.

        Reply
    12. Tara Russell says

      July 4, 2016 at 1:08 pm

      I couldn’t fit all if the tater tots in. I had to leave about two handfuls out, otherwise the slow cooker lid would not close at the start of cooking.

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        July 5, 2016 at 7:42 am

        How did this turn out Tara? I don’t think you used a 6-quart so cooker, you can see in my photos I still had a few inches of room with the 6-quart. I hope it did work for you though!

        Reply
      • Kimo Yee Hoy says

        June 27, 2019 at 10:17 am

        I loved all your recipes so does my large and hungry family

        Reply
    13. Sarah Olson says

      April 16, 2016 at 7:36 am

      Yes! At the cheese factory there a line of cheese tasting with most of those cheeses!

      Reply
      • Connie says

        April 16, 2016 at 4:05 pm

        you can order a select few of their cheeses from that website amazon also sells them but they seemed rather pricey.

        Reply
    14. Karina says

      March 3, 2016 at 11:00 am

      Would it work if you cooked it for 8 hrs (low) in the crock pot?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        March 3, 2016 at 1:49 pm

        I think that would be too long.

        Reply
    15. Sharon Cole says

      January 21, 2016 at 6:19 pm

      I’M IN, SOUNDS MARVELOUS! !

      Reply
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