Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (2024)

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Cowboy Casserole ~

Kids and adults alike love this hearty and satisfying “meat and potatoes” dinner!

It’s quick and easy to make with no fussy ingredients required.

Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (1)

This classic tater tot casserole is made with plant-based ground beef simmered in a quick and rich homemade gravy, then baked with vegan cheese and a whole bag of tater tots.

I thought my husband was going to lick the casserole dish, he loved it so much.

Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (2)

Table of Contents

Ingredients for Cowboy Casserole

  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • 28 ounces vegan ground beef
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup vegan beef-style broth
  • 1/4 cup mild-flavored plant milk, such as oat or unsweetened almond
  • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups vegan Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 32 ounces frozen tater tots
Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (3)

How to Make Cowboy Casserole

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 400°F.

STEP TWO: Into a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble the ground beef. Use a spatula to break up the meat then add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until browned.

STEP THREE: Sprinkle the meat with flour and stir to evenly distribute. Stir in the beef-style broth, milk, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

STEP FOUR: Into a prepared 9×13-inch baking pan, spread the beef mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle with cheese then arrange the tater tots to cover completely.

STEP FIVE: Bake for 30 minutes then serve hot.

Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (4)

Storage

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To freeze, let the casserole cool completely then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

More Meaty Plant-Based Recipes You’ll Love!

  • Vegan Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
  • Vegan Sloppy Joes
  • Vegan Chili Mac Casserole
  • Beefy Bean and Cheese Vegan Enchiladas
  • Vegan Beef Tips and Gravy

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Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (5)

Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (6)

Cowboy Casserole

Kids and adults alike love this hearty and satisfying "meat and potatoes" dinner!

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole, comfort food, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 645kcal

Author: Holly Gray

Ingredients

  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • 28 ounces vegan ground beef
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup vegan beef-style broth
  • 1/4 cup mild-flavored plant milk such as oat or unsweetened almond
  • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups vegan Cheddar cheese shredded
  • 32 ounces frozen tater tots

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  • Into a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble the ground beef. Use a spatula to break up the meat then add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until browned.

  • Sprinkle the meat with flour and stir to evenly distribute. Stir in the beef-style broth, milk, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

  • Into a prepared 9×13-inch baking pan, spread the beef mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle with cheese then arrange the tater tots to cover completely.

  • Bake for 30 minutes then serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1491mg | Potassium: 877mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 5mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @thiswifecooks or tag #thiswifecooks!

Related Posts:

  • Cheesy Tater Tots
  • Vegan Beef Tips and Gravy
  • Brown Gravy

Previous Post: « Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw

Next Post: Fresh Tomato Soup »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julia

    Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (10)
    Yay! What a lovely meal that’s so easy to put together. I’ve just discovered a new vegan ground beef here which I’m really impressed by so this is a perfect recipe to use with it. Love the topping idea – simple but gorgeous

    Reply

    • thiswifecooks

      Thanks, Julia!

  2. Shannon

    Do you bake this for forty minutes then? Just clarifying, thanks!

    Reply

    • thiswifecooks

      Hi Shannon ~ The casserole should be baked for 30 minutes, as noted in Step 5.

  3. Shannon

    You’re so right. It’s clearly step five. I don’t know what I was looking at! Thank you for being so fast to my dumb question :). Also, it’s delicious!

    Reply

    • thiswifecooks

      Lol, thanks for the update. I’m glad you enjoyed the casserole! 🙂

  4. Allyson

    Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (11)
    I know it’s annoying when people say they love a recipe they made changes to but because I was making another meal for the week with vegan ground beef, I decided to use a can each of pinto beans and tri-color beans, and it was fantastic! I’ve made it three weeks in a row, so easy, tasty, and filling! Thank you!

    Reply

    • thiswifecooks

      Hi Allyson ~ I think your bean substitution sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that, too. Thanks for the suggestion!😊

  5. Karen Becker

    Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (12)
    We are trying to eat healthier and add more plant based food to our diets. I made this recipe tonight and my whole family loved it. Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply

    • thiswifecooks

      Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed the casserole!😊

Leave a Reply

Cowboy Casserole ~ Vegan Recipe ~ This Wife Cooks™ (2024)

FAQs

What is cowboy casserole made of? ›

What is cowboy casserole made of? The filling is made with ground beef, chopped onion, garlic, spinach, and corn. It gets its creaminess from a can of cream of mushroom soup and milk. Once the filling is done, you add it to a casserole dish, top with cheddar cheese, a layer of tater tots, and parmesan on top.

Why does Anna always make chicken casserole? ›

Anna brings a casserole to dinner at Neil and Emma's house, uses a casserole to lure murder details out of Neil's late wife's sister, distracts the police with casserole, and even brings a casserole to Elizabeth's grave (with her mysteriously changing headstone epitaphs) on what would have been her birthday.

What is in Central Market Cowboy casserole? ›

Central Market Cowboy Casserole, Serves 4-6 | Central Market - Really Into Food. This chicken dish comes fully loaded! Enjoy rotini pasta combined with a creamy chicken base, sliced chicken breast, crispy bacon, roasted poblano peppers, rotel tomatoes, corn topped with a gruyere fried onion topping.

What are 5 components of a casserole? ›

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

What is the oldest known casserole? ›

Macaroni and cheese is the oldest written casserole recipe found in 1250.

What do Americans call a casserole? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

Why put foil on casserole dish? ›

2. Cover dishes. Covering dishes with aluminum foil during a bake helps lock in moisture. Loosely placing or tenting a sheet of foil over a dish can prevent the top from browning while the rest of your dish continues to bake.

What is the main ingredient in a casserole? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

What is King Ranch casserole made of? ›

King Ranch chicken is a Tex-Mex casserole with unknown origins, though it's assumed the dish is named after King Ranch, Texas. The casserole consists of pulled chicken, canned soup, green chiles, corn tortillas, sour cream, veggies, and lots of cheese.

What are casserole dishes made of? ›

“A casserole dish and a baking dish are the same thing, an oven-safe piece of cookware, usually made of ceramic, porcelain, or glass,” says Anthony Contrino, Emmy-awarded culinary producer and food stylist. "They can come in various shapes, with the most common being rectangular, oval, or square.

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