Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole

If your day has been a lot (emails, errands, kids, meetings, life), Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole is about to feel like the warm hug you didn’t know your dinner needed. It’s hearty, saucy, and full of familiar flavors—ground beef, potatoes, veggies, and just enough spice to make it interesting… without scaring off picky eaters.

And the best part? The slow cooker does the heavy lifting while you do literally anything else (including staring into space for five minutes—highly recommended).

Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole

• It’s truly set-it-and-forget-it. Brown the beef, toss everything in, walk away.
• It feeds a crowd. Or it feeds your family and gives you leftovers you’ll actually want.
• It’s budget-friendly. Ground beef + pantry staples = dinner win.
• It’s flexible. Add cheese, skip cheese, swap veggies, make it spicier—this recipe won’t judge you.

This is one of those meals that makes your kitchen smell like “someone has their life together,” even if you’re eating it in yoga pants next to a pile of laundry.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what goes into this Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole (all easy to find, no special trips to fancy stores required):

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (optional, but… come on)

How to Make Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole (Step-by-Step)

This is simple enough for a weeknight, but tastes like you planned it days ago.

Step 1: Brown the beef

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef and diced onion, cooking until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Break the beef up as you go so you don’t end up with giant meat boulders (unless you’re into that).

Stir in the garlic and kosher salt and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.

That garlic smell? That’s the universe telling you you’re doing great.

Step 2: Transfer to the crock pot

Scoop the beef mixture into your slow cooker.

Now add:

• sliced potatoes
• carrots
• tomato paste
• diced tomatoes with juices
• black-eyed peas
• corn
• Italian seasoning
• smoked paprika
• chili powder

Give everything a good stir so the tomato paste gets distributed. It might look a little thick at first—totally normal. Once it cooks down, it turns into a rich, cozy sauce that clings to those potatoes like it’s their job.

Step 3: Slow cook until tender

Cover and cook:

• LOW for 6–8 hours, or
• HIGH for 3–4 hours

It’s ready when the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender. Taste it, then adjust salt or seasoning if needed.

Step 4: Add cheese (optional, but magical)

If you’re using cheese, sprinkle it over the top, close the lid, and cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes, until melted.

And yes, you’re allowed to “test” a bite right here while it melts. That’s called quality control.

Easy Tips for the Best Cowboy Casserole

A few little tricks that make this Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole extra dependable:

• Slice the potatoes evenly. If some are paper-thin and others are chunky, they won’t cook at the same pace. Aim for that 1/4-inch thickness.
• Don’t skip browning the beef. It adds flavor and keeps the casserole from tasting like “boiled ground beef,” which is not the vibe.
• Want it thicker? Crack the lid for the last 20–30 minutes on HIGH to let some liquid evaporate.
• Want it spicier? Add a pinch of cayenne or a few shakes of hot sauce. (Do it quietly if you live with spice skeptics.)
• Cheese upgrade: Use sharp cheddar, pepper jack, or a blend. Whatever you grab first is probably right.

And if your sauce looks a little odd before it cooks—don’t worry. Slow cookers are like toddlers: chaotic at first, then suddenly it all comes together.

A Little Story From My Kitchen

This recipe became one of my go-to “everyone is hungry and I’m tired” dinners after a weekend when my family kept opening the fridge like it would magically produce a full meal.

I tossed this together, walked away, and a few hours later the house smelled incredible. When I served it, the room got quiet in that rare, beautiful way—the kind of quiet that says: Mom, this is actually delicious.

As someone who loves simple chicken recipes, I’ll admit… I don’t cook ground beef every day. But when I do? I want it hearty, cozy, and worth it. This one absolutely is.

FAQs About Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole

Bring Some Cozy Cowboy Magic to Dinner

If you need one meal that feels comforting, filling, and basically impossible to mess up, Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole is it. It’s the kind of dinner that makes everyone think you worked harder than you did—and honestly, that’s the best kind of recipe.

Make it once, and don’t be surprised if it quietly becomes your “what’s for dinner?” superhero. Because when life gets busy, Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole shows up like a dependable friend… with cheese.

More Cozy Dinners to Try Next

If this Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole hit the spot, here are a few more easy, comfort-food favorites you might love—perfect for busy nights, hungry families, and anyone who enjoys a “dump it in and dinner happens” kind of win:

• Crock Pot Shipwreck Stew
• Crockpot Cowboy Soup
• Buffalo Chicken Casserole
• Crock Pot Crack Chicken

And if you made this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out—please leave a quick review and tap your star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (your stars help other readers find the good stuff!).

Print