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This John Wayne Casserole is everything you want in a hearty home cooked dinner! A flaky biscuit layer is baked with spicy taco meat and lots of melty cheese. It’s an easy casserole recipe with a cowboy kick.
Looking for a flavorful and hearty ground beef casserole? This is it! Easy to make and totally satisfying, this John Wayne casserole is a dinnertime winner.
Why You’ll Love This John Wayne Casserole
- Easy. Simple ingredients and basic techniques are all you’ll need to make this filling beef dinner.
- Hearty. A slice of this John Wayne Casserole is a meal in and of itself! With the biscuit layer on the bottom, hearty taco meat filling, veggies and melty cheese, this recipe is the total package.
- Packed with flavor! This Southwest-style ground beef-and-biscuit casserole is made with taco beef, chilies, tomatoes, sour cream, and plenty of cheese. Every bite is bursting with flavor.
What Is a John Wayne Casserole?
A John Wayne casserole is a ground beef dinner made with “cowboy” flavors. John Wayne was an American actor from Hollywood’s Golden Age famous for his roles in Western movies. According to legend, he helped create this recipe in the late 70’s as part of a celebrity fundraising effort for charity. He added Tex-Mex flavors to a classic hamburger casserole and the rest, as they say, is history. 🤠
Tips and Variation Ideas
- If you don’t have Bisquick: Refrigerated or frozen canned biscuit dough will also work for the base layer.
- Adapt the heat levels: Use mild chilies or leave them out altogether if you’d prefer a milder casserole.
- Use different meat: You can also use ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
- Add more veggies: In addition to bell peppers and onions, you can add more veggies like diced carrots, zucchini, broccoli, or spinach.
- Use different cheese. Any melty cheese will work in this recipe! You can even sub in a Mexican cheese blend if you’d like.
Serving Suggestions
This beef casserole checks all the boxes for a meal on its own! However, if you’d like to “cowboy up” a weeknight dinner with additional sides, a creamy, cheesy John Wayne casserole is a perfect pairing with cornbread or cornbread muffins:
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Store in the fridge: Store any leftover casserole in the fridge airtight for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze it: The baked and cooled casserole can be wrapped tightly, and then frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Reheat portions in the microwave for a minute or two until warmed through.
More Casserole Recipes to Try
John Wayne Casserole
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 lbs ground beef, I prefer lean beef
- ¾ cup water
- 1 oz taco seasoning
For the Biscuit Base
- 2 cups Bisquick mix
- 1 cup water
To Assemble
- 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1 can green chili peppers, 4 oz
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Prep your tools. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with oil. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Saute the veggies. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add chopped onion and chopped bell pepper and saute for about 5 minutes to soften.
- Add ground beef to the skillet. On medium-high heat cook the beef until the ground beef is fully cooked. Add 3/4 water and taco seasoning to the skillet, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until it thickens. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Make the biscuit layer. Combine Bisquick mix with water and make the dough. Spread the dough over the baking dish and press to the bottom.
- Spread the ground beef mixture over the dough layer. Add the layer of sliced tomatoes and green chili peppers.
- Make the sour cream layer. In a separate bowl mix mayonnaise with sour cream and a half mozzarella cheese. Spread that mixture over the tomato/chili layer.
- Top with cheese. Sprinkle with cheddar and remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake. Bake the casserole for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven.
