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 Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu or Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipes.
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.
I have a beloved standard crockpot 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:
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.
Then I make a sour cream and cheese mixture with a bit of seasoning and spread that on top of the meat.
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.
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!
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.
Other wonderful Slow Cooker Ground Beef Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin
- Slow Cooker Hobo Dinner
- Slow Cooker Tamale Pie
- 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 Cooker John Wayne Casserole
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
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!
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Patricia Ehn says
I am doing a low carb diet I wonder how it would be without tater tots?
Sharon Davis says
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!
Sarah Olson says
I think so!
Kathy says
Sorry, tried this and would not try again.
Cynthia Young-Johnson says
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.
ko says
I will use diced fresh hatch green chilies since they are healthier than green bell peppers………love the recipe
Jen niksich says
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?
Sarah Olson says
You can leave them out! I think it would be fine 🙂
Neely says
Could I use french fries in place of the tots??
Sarah Olson says
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.
mary heckman says
Love the recipe idea! Would it be possible to use my programmable “casserole crockpot” ?
Sarah Olson says
I think so! Since it is a casserole meal. My advice is to keep the lid on the entire cooking time.
Tara Russell says
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.
Sarah Olson says
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!
Kimo Yee Hoy says
I loved all your recipes so does my large and hungry family
Sarah Olson says
Yes! At the cheese factory there a line of cheese tasting with most of those cheeses!
Connie says
you can order a select few of their cheeses from that website amazon also sells them but they seemed rather pricey.
Karina says
Would it work if you cooked it for 8 hrs (low) in the crock pot?
Sarah Olson says
I think that would be too long.
Sharon Cole says
I’M IN, SOUNDS MARVELOUS! !