Home > Dinner > Beef > Crockpot Cowboy Casserole Crockpot Cowboy Casserole October 16, 2018 | 25 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. A lightened-up version of the famous cowboy casserole, made even easier in the slow cooker! This Crockpot Cowboy Casserole is flavorful and packed with good-for-you ingredients. I’m excited to be partnering up with TABASCO® Brand this year to bring you delicious recipes, including this Crockpot Cowboy Casserole. As always, all opinions are my own. Crockpot Cowboy Casserole My sister and brother-in-law have been staying with us for about a week now and have been helping me test recipes. This one was the biggest hit so far! While my brother-in-law does have a reputation for being a “bottomless pit” when it comes to food, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dish finished off so fast! This Crockpot Cowboy Casserole was an instant favorite, and my sister and brother-in-law made me promise to make it again before they leave in a few days. What is a “Cowboy Casserole”? This wholesome crockpot cowboy casserole includes sausage, potatoes, beans, peppers, and fire roasted corn and tomatoes. One of the secrets to the delicious flavor in this dish is TABASCO Sauce. TABASCO provides the perfect blend of flavorings, adding a spicy, smoky, and sweet flavor that really amps up the flavor. Be sure to also have your TABASCO sauce out on your table for those who want to add a little extra kick to their cowboy casserole! Using a crockpot to make Cowboy Casserole: Although many Cowboy Casserole recipes include tater-tots, tater-tots will never get that crispy texture we all love when cooked in a crockpot. So, I’ve replaced tater-tots with petite red potatoes to create a healthy and delicious spin on the classic Cowboy Casserole recipe. I recommend using baby red potatoes as they are better than other potato varieties at maintaining their texture in a crockpot without becoming soggy. However, you’ll want to be sure to cut the potatoes thinly so they cook in time! If you do want to try a crockpot cowboy casserole with tater tots, I’d recommend adding the tater tots at the end and broiling/cooking the crockpot insert (as long as it’s oven safe) in the oven How to adapt this crockpot cowboy casserole to your family’s preferences: Less spice – If you like your meals more on the mild side, I would recommend replacing the sausage with regular ground beef. You could also replace the sausage with turkey sausage for a lower calorie alternative! More spice – If you enjoy really full, spicy flavors, you may want to replace the kidney beans in this recipe with a can of chili beans. If you really love things hot, you can also increase the amount of TABASCO sauce that you put into the recipe. Toppings and condiments – Your favorite baked potato toppings are likely to pair great with this simple crockpot cowboy casserole! You can add extra cheese, sour cream, cilantro, or green onions, etc. You might also want to put ketchup (usually a big hit with the kids), BBQ sauce, and TABASCO sauce on your table! What can you serve alongside this Crockpot Cowboy Casserole? Here’s a few ideas for side dishes to compliment this Crockpot Cowboy Casserole: Sun Dried Tomato and Almond Couscous Salad Delicious Italian Salad Roasted Beet, Avocado, and Citrus Salad Avocado Orange Quinoa Salad Candied Pecan, Pear, & Pomegranate Salad Roasted Vegetables More Simple Crockpot Recipes: Crockpot Chicken Quesadilla Soup Crockpot Sweet & Sour Meatballs Crockpot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Crockpot Beef & Mushrooms Over Noodles Crockpot Pepper Steak FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Crockpot Cowboy Casserole 5 from 10 votes - Review this recipe A lightened-up version of the famous cowboy casserole, made even easier in the slow cooker! This Crockpot Cowboy Casserole is flavorful and packed with good-for-you ingredients. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Crockpot Cowboy Casserole 5 from 10 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe A lightened-up version of the famous cowboy casserole, made even easier in the slow cooker! This Crockpot Cowboy Casserole is flavorful and packed with good-for-you ingredients. Course Dinner Cuisine American Keyword crockpot cowboy casserole Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 4 hours Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes Servings 4 -6 servings Calories 201kcal Author Chelsea Ingredients1 pound mild Italian sausage (can use ground turkey for a healthier alternative)1 cup yellow onion, chopped1 pound baby/petite red potatoes, thinly sliced (no need to peel)1 green bell pepper, chopped1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted corn, drained1 can (14.5 ounces) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, not drained2 teaspoons minced garlic1 and 1/4 teaspoon TABASCO Sauce1/2 cup low sodium beef broth1/2 teaspoon chili powder1 cup low-fat Colby Jack cheese, freshly gratedFine sea salt and freshly cracked pepperOptional toppings: fresh cilantro, sour cream InstructionsIn a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausage and chopped yellow onion. Brown the sausage and drain off any fat. Add to a 6 quart crockpot. Top with the thinly sliced red potatoes.Add the chopped bell pepper, fire-roasted corn, kidney beans, undrained fire-roasted diced tomatoes, minced garlic, TABASCO sauce, beef broth, and chili powder. Season to taste with salt & pepper; I use 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. You can always add more at the end 🙂 Stir everything together and cover the crockpot.Cook on high for 3-5 hours or low for 5-7 hours or until potatoes are tender. Once everything is finished cooking, taste and adjust salt and pepper to preference. Add the freshly grated cheese in an even layer over everything and allow to melt. Serve hot with additional TABASCO sauce as desired and fresh cilantro. Video Nutrition FactsCalories: 201kcal DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below. Share this crockpot cowboy casserole pinterest pin!
what a great all in one recipe, at least for me, it has petty much all of the stuff (veg, legumes, proteins) that my slow carb thing requires, thank you Reply
Oh boy would my husband love this! Not that I wouldn’t, but his meals are way heavier than mine. Can’t wait to surprised him with it. Thanks! Reply
I love this recipe!! So easy and yummy, my husband was raving about how tasty it was! Thank you for a delicious and easy crock pot recipe! Reply
Have you made this with an instant pot? Looks yummy but working all day would make it hard to make in a crockpot. Just wondering about the conversion time? Reply
I was able to do this in my electric pressure cooker with the same steps except I cooked it on high for 6 minutes after step 3. I did natural release just because I was in the middle of something so not sure if it’d be long enough for immediate steam release! Reply
This was a really great meal! I made a few changes—added sliced frozen okra and black eyed peas. I substituted jalapeño for bell pepper. I ended up cooking the potatoes in the microwave & put them in the bottom of the bowl when serving. Lots of great edits you can make to this dinner! Reply
Made this tonight in my pressure cooker (6 minutes on high with natural release). Oh my goodness!! This was so good. Will definitely make again. I had to sub plain corn because I could not find fire roasted corn at Publix. Reply
I was wondering if you can prepare everything in the crockpot and then refrigerate it overnight so that you can just put it on low before work the next morning and have it ready when you get home from work? Or is it possible to make it ahead and freeze it in a gallon ziplock? I’ve done this with some other crockpot freezer meals and then you just thaw and dump in the crockpot whenever ready to use. Thanks! Reply
I did this last night and it turned out delicious! I only left out the beef broth and added it in the AM when I turn on the crockpot, the rest of it I chopped & mixed in the crockpot bowl and into the fridge overnight- so delicious! My picky fiancé wants this on normal rotation! Reply
This is my favorite recipe. Seriously, I make it at least 2-3 times a month. I use turkey sausage and it is so yummy! Reply
I didn’t have the 4 hours , so I baked it at 400 for 40 minutes then topped with cheese for another 15 minutes ! It was GREAT !! Will definitely make this again ! And, my husband is picky and he loved it too !! Thank you !! Reply
My wife is the chef in the household. She blows my mind with the stuff she can make… But I wanted to cook for her for a change so I went with this. It came out way better then I had hoped and I’ll definitely be making this again. The video really helped because I need to be shown what to do. With cooking it’s different for me, I can read instructions or directions all day, but I still don’t know if I’m doing it the same. So thank you for that! Currently looking for a new recipe for this weekend! 👍🏼 Reply
I juat made this for supper tonight and it is absolutely delish!!! Will definitely make it again. I didn’t have the right meat you suggested but I added other seasons to make it like Italian sausage flavor. Love soooo many of your recipes…do you limit the number we can save???? Vicki Riley Reply