John Wayne Casserole
204 Comments May 19, 2019
Updated May 13, 2025
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This John Wayne Casserole is made with a twist—tater tots! This hearty slow cooker casserole starts with a layer of potatoes, followed by a creamy, cheesy sour cream mixture, seasoned ground beef, and is finished with a generous topping of melted 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.
I don’t think John Wayne had anything to do with this casserole—the name likely comes from its western-style ingredients. The original version uses biscuit mix, but a reviewer once mentioned having it with tater tots at a restaurant. That’s the perfect slow cooker twist—tater tots make it easy and delicious!
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!
Ingredients for John Wayne Casserole
This slow cooker casserole is easy to put together with simple ingredients. Find the full recipe in the recipe card below the images.
This easy meal starts with frozen tater tots, topped with taco-seasoned ground beef, onions, and peppers. A creamy sour cream and cheddar layer goes on next, finished with more cheese and optional fresh toppings like tomatoes or peppers.
Recipe Video
Watch me make this casserole in my crockpot:
How to Make John Wayne Casserole
Here is my method for making this easy slow cooker casserole. Once you get your ground beef browned, it comes together quickly.
Step One: I add the bag of tater tots to my slow cooker.
Step Two: Then I brown a pound of hamburger with bell pepper, onion, taco seasoning, and water, I pour that meat mixture over the tots.
Step Four: Then I make a sour cream and cheese mixture with a bit of seasoning and spread that on top of the meat.
Step Five: Cook on LOW for 4.5 hours, and then top with more cheese. I put the lid back on the slow cooker, and the cheese melts in minutes.
My Serving Suggestions
Being that we make this so often, we know exactly how to serve it:
- I like to top this delicious casserole with tomatoes and green bell peppers. The cool tomatoes, along with the crunchy contrast of the bell peppers, really make the dish.
- You can also top the casserole with sour cream and green onions.
- Other serving ideas are a side of cornbread or green salad.
Featured Comment
“It made this dish yesterday for the family and it was a HUGE hit! Seconds all around! YUMMY! Thank you for the great recipe! I’ll be trying more for sure!”
– Patti
John Wayne Casserole Recipe
How to Video
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!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Ground Slow Cooker Beef Recipes to try:
Lumberjack Casserole is a hearty slow cooker dinner with beef, potatoes, beans, and cheese—perfect for a filling family meal.
Creamy and comforting, Cowboy Casserole layers ground beef, potatoes, and cheese for a satisfying all-in-one crockpot dish.
With bold flavor and simple ingredients, this Wendy’s Chili recipe lets you enjoy the drive-thru favorite right at home.
Crockpot Sloppy Joes are sweet, savory, and made with ease—just pile onto buns and dinner’s done.
I love this recipe but I make it in the oven and use tator rounds not tots..The rounds are half the size of the tots a d I like the bottoms a little crispy… And I probably use to much sour cream lol…but this is a regular on the menu now and everyone loves it..
Can I sub out tots for diced up potatoes? Would it cook/taste the same?
It may be ok, the tots are fried, so they have more flavor. It would be worth trying though!
We love Tillamook cheese. We are originally from Oregon, but now live in Georgia, and we can’t get it here….and they don’t ship. Visited Tillamook last September….and brought home a couple of blocks in my suitcase. Wish we could get more…its the best cheese ever! Will make this recipe for sure, but will have to substitute a lower quality cheese.
Too funny! It is the best cheese ever. And their ice cream is so good too!
Allergic to cheese. Could I omit that ingredient????
Made this for Christmas Eve, it was devoured! Everyone loved it. Perfect for cooking while at church, Sunday morning as well as Christmas Eve. I also want to make an oven version, but don’t know how long to cook. I definitely want to use tater tots, not biscuits. Any ideas?
Could I use a can of Rotel instead of the onion, bell pepper and tomato?
Somewhere buried in all the comments I saw someone did that and they said it turned out great! I think it would be a great addition.
I want to try this recipe, but I broke my slow cooker and have not been able to get a new one yet. I am going to try it in the oven tonight. I’ll try to remember to get back with you on oven temp and how long it cooked. It sounds delicious and I’m always looking for new recipes for my family.
Made this once as written…but in oven. Was great. This time using low fat ground turkey instead.
Do you remember how long, and what temp you cooked it in the oven? I have lot of people ask about that 🙂
I think I would go by the directions on the Tater Tot bag everything else is cooked. 🙂
Tator Tots are cooked before being frozen.
What if you don’t like tater tots? What could you substitute?
The original recipes use bisquick, but I am unsure how that would work in the slow cooker, and how long the cook time would be.
Choose a different dish. LOL.
I can’t understand why you want to change a good dish. Sounds delicious!!! Great recipe!!
Yes, Sarah is a saint – such positive responses to crazy posts.
It made this dish yesterday for the family and it was a HUGE hit! Seconds all around! YUMMY! Thank you for the great recipe! I’ll be trying more for sure!