Cowboy Casserole Vs John Wayne Casserole: Is There A Difference?

Who knows how cowboy casserole truly came to be, but it's likely the sibling to John Wayne casserole, another delicious concoction that's been around for an extremely long time. Both cowboy casserole and John Wayne casserole are the loving children of hotdish (here's our Shepherd's pie inspired take on it) — a popular Minnesotan concoction and possibly the mother of all casseroles. Hotdish is built around a protein  (like ground beef) and a binder (like canned soup), along with vegetables and cheese. It's all topped with tater tots and baked in, you guessed it, a casserole dish.

The rules are not strict at all with cowboy casserole. One popular version tastes more like loaded Tex-Mex tater tots, but it's saucy and bound by the unstoppable combination of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese. The two work together to make a sauce that's just the thing for ground beef mixed with taco seasoning along with pinto beans, corn, onion, and bell pepper — all topped with crispy tater tots. 

John Wayne casserole also features a Southwestern flair, but there's not a tater tot or a pinto bean in sight. This casserole originated in 1979 when the actor contributed a simple egg, cheese, and green chile recipe to a charity cookbook. Later, the University of Mississippi Medical Center cafeteria transformed it into a hearty dish with ground beef and an added crust; it was a hit among staff and visitors. The hospital chef gave it quite the transformation with the two must-have ingredients that make John Wayne casserole what it is today.

First up are jarred jalapeños with their hot, vinegary zing. They pair perfectly here layered with meat, veggies, and a tangy cheese sauce that works like a melted pimento cheese spread. Canned biscuits are a non-negotiable in this casserole, utilized for their convenience, familiar taste, and a touch of sweetness to soften the spicy filling. The biscuits, all rolled out into the bottom of a greased casserole dish, create a sturdy base. That filling is very familiar, with ground beef and taco mix, but the thing that makes John Wayne casserole deliciously different is in the layering. It goes like this: biscuit base, taco beef, pickled jalapeños, and cheese sauce, repeated twice. 

The cheese sauce in John Wayne casserole is made with a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise along with as much cheddar cheese as you want (a cup does the trick). The other trick with this casserole is to end with a layer of grated cheese on top. And if you want the whole thing really cheesy, be sure to mix in some mozzarella — the queen of melting cheeses. There's a reason some cheeses melt much better than others, and it's because they're soft. In this case, the mozzarella helps the cheddar do better, especially when you broil this ultimate cheese layer at the end of the casserole's baking time; pop the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes to make any cheesy casserole golden, brown, and delicious. 

Another distinction between cowboy casserole and John Wayne casserole is the space between the top and the rest of the casserole. In this case, the top half of the tater tots are crisping up while the bottom half becomes soft and cheesy, akin to a layer of cheesy hash brown casserole sandwiched between that crunchy top and hearty meaty filling on the bottom. And those tater tots really do make for a pretty display.

Cowboy casserole is also versatile. While it doesn't have a storied history like John Wayne casserole, this cozy meal has everything to do with a chuckwagon. That means it's all about doing the best with what's on hand, and for cowboys, beans and beef it is. Two pounds of ground chuck mixed with taco seasoning is a must, but feel free to swap black beans for pintos and crank the heat up or down. Mix a cup of sour cream with eight ounces of cheddar to make a binder that will bring this casserole together, along with corn and red bell pepper. Cowboy casserole is also a great candidate for a cornbread or flaky biscuit topping, too, but those tater tots will cure the broken heart of any lone ranger. And no one — absolutely no one — is stopping you from making a John Wayne casserole and topping it with tater tots for an ultimate ranch feast of John Wayne cowboy casserole.