Rodeo Casserole has baked beans, rice, enchilada sauce, sour cream, cheese and tots. It’s like a cross between tex-mex and bbq and it tastes oh so good! Yee HAW!
Rodeo Casserole
I came across a recipe for rodeo casserole and knew I had to give it a shot. The original author said, “I really wanted a casserole and something with tater tots, but taco-y. Thus, Tater Tot Rodeo Casserole was born. Super easy to make, totally foolproof, and one of the most delicious casseroles I’ve ever made!”
I do have to agree that it was delicious! It makes a 9×13 inch pan and I put the leftovers in the fridge…when I came back this afternoon they were all gone. It’s a filling casserole with lots of good flavors. The baked beans and the enchilada sauce sound like a weird pairing but I really like the touch of sweetness from the beans. The tots on top just put it over the tot…I mean top 😉.
This recipe starts off in the Instant Pot (to cook the pork and rice) and ends up in the oven (to get the baked casserole feel and to crisp up the tots). If you have an air fryer lid I’m sure you could finish it off with that.
This casserole does make a 9×13 inch pan so you can easily halve the recipe if you’re serving a smaller group. But you may just want the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Ground pork–or ground beef or ground turkey
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Converted rice–or white rice
- Red enchilada sauce–I used mild
- Bush’s Grillin Beans southern pit bbq–or another type of baked beans that you enjoy
- Sour cream
- Tater tots
- Mexican blend cheese–or cheddar
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says hot add in the ground pork and break it up. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika. Brown for about 5 minutes.
Pour in the water and scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking.
Sprinkle in the rice.
Dump in the enchilada sauce and Bush’s beans. Don’t stir.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Stir.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Scrape the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish.
With a rubber scraper gently spread the sour cream on top.
Evenly layer on top the tater tots. Bake for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 5 more minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a green salad and fresh fruit like watermelon.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Try adding some bacon bits to this casserole.
- If you’re a tot lover, double the amount of tater tots on top!
- If you’re not a fan of sweetness in the beans try using a can of Bush’s chili beans instead.
- If you’d like you can use green enchilada sauce instead of red.
- Try using smoked sausage in the place of ground pork for lots of flavor.
- To make this gluten free check labels of the baked beans, enchilada sauce and tater tots.
More Instant Pot Cowboy Favorites…
Instant Pot Cowboy Up Supper
Spaghetti with bacon, beans, chili seasonsings and cheese. A hearty supper that will fill up your little and big cowboys.
Instant Pot Cowboy Meatloaf Potato Casserole
Meatloaf seasoned with chili powder and bbq sauce is topped with mashed potatoes, french fried onions and cheddar cheese.
Instant Pot Crispy Cowboy Casserole
A hearty casserole with rice, beans, corn, picante sauce and cheese. It’s topped with french fried onions for a crispy finish!
Instant Pot Cowboy Spaghetti
Easy spaghetti recipe with bacon, ground beef, Rotel, barbecue sauce and cheese. A hearty pasta dish that comes together quickly with the help of your Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Cowboy Chicken Casserole
Chicken, beans, corn, cheddar and barbecue sauce with a hot piece of cornbread on top. A hearty and easy meal that your cowboys and cowgirls will love.
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.
Rodeo Casserole
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Rodeo Casserole has baked beans, rice, enchilada sauce, sour cream, cheese and tots. It’s like a cross between tex-mex and bbq and it tastes oh so good! Yee HAW!
Ingredients
- 20 ounces ground pork
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup converted rice or white rice
- 1 (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
- 1 (22 oz) can Bush’s Grillin Beans southern pit bbq
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 pound tater tots
- 3/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says hot add in the ground pork and break it up. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika. Brown for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the water and scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Sprinkle in the rice. Dump in the enchilada sauce and Bush’s beans. Don’t stir.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Stir.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Scrape the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. With a rubber scraper gently spread the sour cream on top. Evenly layer on top the tater tots. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
*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.
It would be helpful to know how much of each ingredient to use. Thanks!
scroll down to the recipe card and you’ll see the exact recipe amounts 🙂
Oops, sorry. Thanks!
I have to admit, I was a little nervous about this one because it seems like a very odd mixture of ingredients! 🙂 But I’ve made other recipes from this site and enjoyed them, so I decided to give it a try – and we really enjoyed it! The only change I made was I decided to just use an entire bag of tater tots (32 oz). My husband loves tater tots, so I figured I couldn’t use too many. And I really liked it that way! I’ll definitely make this one again. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
More tater tots equals more fun!
Can you substitute ground hamburger meat for ground pork?
yep!
I make it with turkey, beef or bison. It is delicious any way you make it. It has become a family staple. My 19 year old son in particular LOVES this stuff. I also put fresh veggies in with the sautéed meat. I’ll add in peppers, zucchini, celery and/or summer squash.
★★★★★
I love all those ideas!
I’ve made it with turkey and beef, and it was absolutely delish! My husband and picky 19 yo loved it, too. Definitely adding this one to the rotation.
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars!
how would you make this if you don’t have an instant pot?
Google Cowboy Casserole, other recipes for the oven pop up.
Very good question. I hope it is andwered.
How do you prepare without an insta pot?
what is converted rice?
What is converted/parboiled rice? Don’t confuse converted rice (or sometimes it is called parboiled rice) with pre-cooked or minute rice. Parboiled rice has been processed in its husk by soaking, steaming, and drying. As a result, all the nutrients from the husk are absorbed into the grain before it’s removed. The starch content alters in the process, making cooked parboiled rice less sticky than regular white rice. The rice kernels aren’t clumpy and glued together instead they are more separated. I found a bag of parboiled rice at Walmart next to the normal long grain white rice. Sometimes I buy it at Winco in the bulk section. I have also found it in the orange box (Ben’s brand) next to other rices.
Follow the recipe but use a Dutch oven* or other covered pot. Cook the rice separately and stir into the bean and meat mixture. Transfer to the 9X13 dish and go from there.
Alternatively, use the Dutch oven* and follow the recipe, but add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. When you get to the part about sealing the IP, put the lid on the Dutch oven and turn the heat down to low.. The water and enchilada sauce should provide enough liquid to cook the rice. Let cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Check to see if the rice is cooked. If it is too wet, take the lid off and let it cook a little longer still on low. Put in the 9X 13 pan and follow the recipe.
The first approach is probably the least trouble. I have a similar recipe that is more Tex-Mex (Uses frijoles de la olla instead of baked beans) and a different ratio of the same spices. I have made it in the IP and in the Dutch oven. It works well both ways.
*An enameled dutch oven would be great, or stainless.
Thanks for the good tips Larry!