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Busy week? This John Wayne Casserole is cheesy, beefy, and baked on a biscuit crust, your whole crew will devour. Dinner got eaten, no one complained, and I didn’t even have to bust out the backup nuggets.
What Makes This John Wayne Casserole Worth It
- Easy, Familiar Flavors Everyone Loves: It’s loaded with simple, Americanized taco vibes, aka flavors your kids will actually eat!
- Dressed Up or Delicious As-Is: Want to pile it high with sour cream, guacamole, and jalapeños? Go for it. But honestly, it doesn’t need a thing.
- Hearty in the Best Way: This isn’t a light, ‘leave you hungry in an hour’ situation. It’s rich, filling, and deeply satisfying!
John Wayne Casserole Ingredients
- Meat: You can swap the ground beef for Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Italian sausage adds a little heat, while turkey or chicken makes for a leaner filling.
- Spice level: If you’re sensitive to heat, use mild taco seasoning and Rotel, or swap Rotel for plain diced tomatoes that don’t have green chilies.
- Toppings: Top with avocado, jalapeños, salsa, diced tomatoes, cilantro, olives, or pico de Gallo. Use whatever you love!
- Adding cheese: Go as cheesy as you want. Sub in Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack if you want something melty or with a kick.
- Layer the biscuits well: Press the dough flat or cut into smaller pieces for fluffier layers. Just make sure the bottom is fully covered!
- Homemade Biscuits: Try my buttermilk biscuit recipe instead of canned.
How to Make a John Wayne Casserole
This John Wayne Casserole recipe is so simple and incredibly delicious that you’ll find yourself making it on busy weeknights. Here’s how it all comes together:
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat until no pink remains. Drain off the fat before adding the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Mix in Seasoning, Chiles and Rotel: Add the taco seasoning, can of green chiles, and can of Rotel, and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through and thickened slightly.
- Make the Creamy Mixture: In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayo, and ½ cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Add Biscuits: Remove the biscuits from the can and press them into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, stretching and pinching the biscuit dough as needed for them to completely cover the bottom. Bake them for 12 minutes.
- Assemble: After 12 minutes of baking, top the biscuit layer with the ground beef mixture.
- Bake: Top the beef mixture with the sour cream mixture as evenly as you can over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of cheese on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and begins to brown. Serve John Wayne Casserole immediately.
Make Ahead Instructions:
Make-Ahead Tip: You can prep the meat filling and cream topping up to 3 days in advance. When you’re ready to assemble, start at step 5 and par-bake the biscuits fresh; don’t do this part ahead!
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John Wayne Casserole
My hearty Tex-Mex-inspired casserole has layers of seasoned beef, a creamy topping, and biscuit crust.
Ingredients
- 1 (16.3-ounce) can Grands biscuits
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup onion diced
- ½ cup bell pepper diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles drained
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles drained
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded and divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook 2 pounds lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain off the fat before adding 1 cup onion and ½ cup bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Add 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, and 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilesand cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through and thickened slightly.
- Combine ¾ cup sour cream, ¾ cup mayonnaise, and ½ cup of the 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese in a small bowl to make the creamy mixture.
- Remove the biscuits from 1 (16.3-ounce) can Grands biscuits and press them into the bottom of the pan, stretching and pinching as needed until they completely cover the bottom of the pan. Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes of baking, top the biscuits with the beef mixture, then spread the creamy mixture as evenly as you can over the top. Top evenly with the remaining 2 cups of cheese.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and browning. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
In the Refrigerator: Place leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 45-60 seconds per serving.
Make Ahead: The meat filling and cream topping can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. When you are ready to assemble the casserole, continue with step 5 and par-bake the biscuits before moving on.
Freeze It: Once John Wayne casserole has been fully cooked, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before wrapping it in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. To reheat it, it’s best to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes or so, until the center of the casserole reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nutrition
Calories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 26gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 674mgPotassium: 490mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 538IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 243mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Delicious Casseroles
If you liked this John Wayne Casserole, you’re in the right place! Try out some of my other favorites like this Sloppy Joe Casserole, Cheeseburger Casserole, and this delicious Philly Cheesesteak Casserole.
