Instant Pot Complete Cowboy Casserole

Instant Pot cowboy casserole has ground beef, sausage and vegetables in a creamy sauce and then it is topped with crispy browned tater tots.

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Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below

Instant Pot Cowboy Casserole

This is a fun casserole that your whole family will love. There are so many ways to make this cowboy casserole and different substitutions! Read through my ideas and tips below to get ideas on how to make this casserole your own.

Ingredients You Need To Make Cowboy Casserole

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef–or ground turkey
• 1/2 pound ground sausage–you can also use just 1 pound of ground beef instead of half beef and half sausage
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic–fresh or jarred
• 1 cup chicken or beef broth–or 1 cup water with 1 teaspoon of Better than Bouillon
• 1/3 cup uncooked long grain white rice–or jasmine rice
• 1 cup frozen corn–or 1 can of drained corn
• 1 cup frozen or fresh green beans–or 1 can of drained green beans
• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup–or homemade (see my recipe below)
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 12 ounces frozen tater tots–I like the Ore-Ida extra crispy brand
• 1/2 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese–or another cheese of your choice
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the meat: Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When displays says HOT add in the beef and sausage and break up. Add in the onions. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the garlic. 
2. Deglaze the pot: Stir in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot. 
3. Layer ingredients on top: Sprinkle in the rice (don’t stir in). Dump the corn and beans on top. 
4. Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 5-10 minutes and then move valve to venting. 
5. Stir in the cream of chicken soup. Add in a dash of worcestershire. Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Cook tots: Add the tater tots on top in an even layer. Use the air fryer lid to cook and brown up the tater tots. Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. If you don’t have an air fryer lid then cook the tots in the oven according to the package directions.
7. Sprinkle the cheese on top and air fry for 1 more minute to melt the cheese. 
8. Serve and enjoy!

How to make homemade cream of chicken soup

Homemade cream of chicken soup is so easy to make and it tastes great! In a saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of flour and whisk well. Slowly add in 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of milk. Bring to a low boil and simmer until thickened. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper. Use in any recipe that calls for cream of chicken soup.

How to make cowboy casserole in the Crockpot

You can also make this tater tot casserole recipe in the slow cooker. The only thing is you’ll have to cook the tots in the oven to get that crispy texture.

1. Brown meat: Brown the beef, sausage and onions in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown for about 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the garlic. Add the beef mixture into the slow cooker.
2. Add ingredients to slow cooker: Stir in the broth, rice, corn, beans, Worcestershire and cream of chicken soup.
3. Slow cooker: Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until rice is cooked through (all slow cookers cook differently so cooking time may vary). Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake the tater tots in the oven according to package directions. 
5. Add cheese: Add tots to top of mixture in crockpot and sprinkle the cheese on top. Let cheese melt.
6. Serve and enjoy!

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Variations to Try

• Swap the ground beef and sausage with ground turkey or ground pork.
• Add some pinto beans, ranch style beans or black beans instead of the corn and green beans.
• Use curly fries instead of the tater tots. You can find these next to the tots at the grocery store.
• Add some chili powder, cumin and green chiles for a Tex-Mex version.
• Use cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken.
• Instead of cream of chicken soup try using an equal amount of sour cream.
• For a spicy version add minced jalapeno at the same time as the garlic and use shredded pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar.

Tips for Making the Best Cowboy Casserole

• Use a good high quality tater tot. I like the Ore-Ida Super Crispy variety. These are so much better than the store brand.
• There’s no need to thaw the tater tots before adding them to the top of your casserole.
• If you don’t like an ingredient substitute something similar. If you don’t like green beans try corn or peas. Try adding in a can of drained diced tomatoes. 
• For a kicked up spicy version add a bit of hot sauce.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (tater tots will be soggy). Or freeze for up to 3 months.

More Instant Pot Casserole Recipes…

Instant Pot Shop The Pantry Casserole

Tater Tot Cracked Out Chicken Casserole

Instant Pot Meat And Potato Casserole

Instant Pot Lazy Wife’s Dinner

Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc. Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.

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What Equipment Did You Use?

• To make Instant Pot cowboy casserole I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo Crisp with air fryer lid*. This allowed me to make the entire casserole in one pot. I used the pressure cook lid to pressure cook the rice and meat and then the air fryer lid to crisp and cook the tater tots.
• Hamburger Chopper Tool*
• Cheese Grater*

Want More Tried And True Instant Pot Recipes?

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• Buy the 365 Days of Pressure Cooking Cookbook

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.