This hearty cowboy casserole is comfort food at its best with a creamy filling and crispy tots.
Ingredients
- slices thick-cut bacon: 2 piece (chopped)
- yellow onion: 1 cup (chopped)
- red bell pepper: 1 cup (chopped)
- ground sirloin: 1 pound
- ounces hot pork country sausage (such as Jimmy Dean): 8 piece
- garlic: 2 tsp (chopped)
- condensed cream of mushroom soup (such as Campbell's®): 1 can (10.75 ounce can)
- whole milk: 0.5 cup
- sour cream: 0.25 cup
- kosher salt: 0.5 tsp
- black pepper: 0.5 tsp
- frozen corn kernels: 1 cup
- ½ cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese: 1 piece (divided)
- frozen tater tots: 1 pack (32 ounce pack)
- fresh flat-leaf parsley: 2 Tbsp (chopped)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) with a rack in the center position.
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Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
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Add onion and bell pepper to drippings in skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef and sausage. Cook, stirring, until beef is crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain fat, if desired. Stir in soup, milk, sour cream, salt, and black pepper. Stir in corn, bacon, and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
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Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 cup cheese and arrange tots in concentric circles over cheese layer (there will be about 1 1/2 cups tots leftover; reserve for another use).
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Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and beef mixture is bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
