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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.
Print Pin Rate
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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    58190 shares
    • 13790

    Filed Under: Beef, Dinner, Ground Beef

    Comments

    1. Nanci says

      December 24, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      This is our go-to Christmas Eve supper. I put it in the crockpot about 2, relax until Christmas Eve service at 5, come home and add the cheese, turn it off, let it sit until we’re ready to eat. Then we build a fire on the patio and make s’mores.

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        December 24, 2019 at 1:25 pm

        Such a great idea Nancy! Merry Christmas!

        Reply
      • Crystal says

        February 19, 2020 at 8:57 am

        Do you stir it at any point during the cooking time This looks delicious I want to try this

        Reply
        • Sarah Olson says

          February 19, 2020 at 9:01 am

          No, do not stir. It’s like a layered casserole.

    2. McCaff says

      December 12, 2019 at 6:04 pm

      5 stars
      It was amazing! My wife and I had it for supper this evening. Great find!

      Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      December 7, 2019 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      Tried it today and we love it

      Reply
    4. Julie Kemp says

      November 18, 2019 at 4:28 am

      5 stars
      My family loved it and as we talked about what was “missing’ my husband and son came up with they wanted to try it with some corn next time to give it a more of a “southwest” feeling. I’m game, first time making this I was nervous but it sure did sound good, it made it to the family approval list! With 5 of us it’s hard to please everyone, this one pleased all 🙂 Thank you for the idea

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        March 23, 2021 at 4:14 pm

        This recipe sometimes calls for a can of green chilies

        Reply
    5. Lorie says

      September 23, 2019 at 11:26 am

      5 stars
      My family loves this recipe We also cook it in the oven if I don’t have time to put it in the crockpot

      Reply
      • Colette says

        December 16, 2019 at 6:52 am

        Lorie, whhat temp and time do you use in the oven? Thanks

        Reply
      • Kayla says

        May 8, 2020 at 6:56 pm

        5 stars
        I LOVE this dish and have made it many times in the crock-pot. I’d like to try it in the oven since I plan on making this to deliver to a friend, and it would be much easier to send a casserole dish than my crock-pot. What temp and how long in the oven?

        Reply
        • Sarah Olson says

          May 8, 2020 at 9:47 pm

          Hi Lorie! I would cook it like a tater tot casserole in the oven. Perhaps like this one: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222037/tatertot-casserole/

        • Anonymous says

          May 28, 2020 at 2:16 am

          what is tater tot?

        • Sarah Olson says

          May 28, 2020 at 8:20 am

          frozen potato balls that are deep fried.

    6. Arlene Cosand says

      May 20, 2019 at 8:35 am

      I notice that the recipe still says “single layer”. I’m confused.

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        May 20, 2019 at 9:18 am

        That is some very bad wording on my part I will fix that. Put them down in an even layer so they are not high in one spot. Thank you for pointing that out.

        Reply
    7. Rick R Keane says

      May 20, 2019 at 8:16 am

      Is there a substitute for the sour cream?

      Reply
      • Heather says

        July 31, 2019 at 8:25 pm

        Nonfat greek yogurt is always a good sub for sour cream in recipes

        Reply
    8. Brandy says

      May 19, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Can you change the setting to high and split the time in half?

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        May 19, 2019 at 8:37 pm

        You may be able to get away with 3 hours on high. Though I’d watch that the edges don’t burn.

        Reply
    9. Michael Murphy says

      May 7, 2019 at 9:40 am

      @Kimberly – I’ve made this countless times and it’s always a big hit. I do kick it up a bit with a can of green chilies and some Franks Hot sauce but the basic recipe is really awesome. One son-in-law always asks me to make it for his birthday. Truth.
      Try the Alpine Chicken as well. Another winner.

      Reply
    10. KIMBERLY STRAWCUTTER says

      April 30, 2019 at 8:18 pm

      Love all the comments but has anyone actually made this??

      Reply
      • Brenda says

        September 18, 2020 at 9:09 am

        We have made several times. Instead of using the i use same amount of taco sauce.

        Reply
    11. Lynne says

      April 11, 2019 at 3:19 am

      I added a can of refried beans to the mince and onions, and added a layer of fresh sliced leeks on top of the tater tots. Your cooking times were spot on for my slow cooker and the dish was a hit. It was delicious and I’ve added it to my book of ‘keepers’ to go on rotation. Thank you 🙂

      Reply
    12. StephieD says

      January 11, 2019 at 2:23 pm

      Such an amazing recipe!!! We loved it!! Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        January 11, 2019 at 8:43 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it Stephie! I need to make this again soon.

        Reply
    13. Vicky Hensley says

      October 21, 2018 at 12:00 pm

      I am trying this today but I only have shredded hash browns, and had to substitute salsa for the taco mix and water.
      It is cold out and the Eagles game is on so I am too lazy to go to the store. Let’s see if it turns out ok!

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        October 21, 2018 at 5:08 pm

        Let us know how it turned out with the hashbrowns!

        Reply
    14. Diane says

      August 4, 2018 at 8:26 am

      I made this John Wayne casserole and I was amazed at how crispy the tator tots got. I will use a low sodium taco seasoning next time. I loved this dish.

      Reply
    15. Delores says

      June 10, 2018 at 7:53 am

      All your recipes look delicious . Do you have nutritional facts about the fat content of your recipes? Am trying to watch my Cholesterol intake

      Reply
      • Sarah Olson says

        June 10, 2018 at 8:19 pm

        Hi, Delores. My newly added recipes now have the nutritional info. This is an older recipe. I am working slowly on getting them all updated.

        Reply
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