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This easy-to-make John Wayne Casserole features a chile-spiced ground beef mixture with bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion with melty cheese, all on top of buttery, flaky biscuits. This beef and biscuit casserole is sure to become a new family favorite!
This easy-to-make ground beef casserole recipe is a great weeknight dinner for the entire family. This casserole starts with a buttery biscuit crust, followed by layers of ground beef, a medley of diced tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and a creamy blend of sour cream and mayo mixed with cheese. A generous sprinkling of shredded cheese gives a golden, gooey crust on top that is simply irresistible.
Why is it Called John Wayne Casserole?
This casserole has a complicated history. This particular recipe is not the original, but is inspired by the legendary American actor and his original recipe that was shared in “Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends”, compiled by Cara Connery, in 1979.
However its name came about, it’s a great easy and delicious meal that the family will love!
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef: this easy to make beef and biscuit casserole uses one pound of ground beef.
- Refrigerated Biscuit Dough: this recipe is written using store bought biscuit dough, it is a great time saver, you could bake a layer of homemade biscuits if you prefer. Our favorite store bought biscuits are the Immaculate brand.
- Onion: diced yellow onion for flavor.
- Green Bell Pepper: this can be substituted for another color of bell pepper or for a poblano or even a jalapeño if you want a small amount of heat.
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: combined this makes the cream layer of the casserole dish.
- Diced Tomato: use a can of diced tomatoes or substitute with fresh chopped tomatoes to add to the ground beef mixture.
- Cheddar Cheese: freshly shredded cheese to mix into the cream layer and to sprinkle on top. You can substitute with another type of melting cheese.
- Seasonings: chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder are used for flavorings.
how to Make a John Wayne Casserole
- Cook the ground beef and add the bell peppers, onions, and seasonings.
- Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and some of the shredded cheese to create the creamy layer of the casserole.
- Bake the biscuits in the baking dish to create the buttery, biscuit crust for the casserole. Then layer the ground beef mixture, the cream layer, then top with shredded cheese. Bake and add any additional toppings, such as diced tomato or fresh cilantro.
Serving Ideas
- Vegetables: Serve some roasted Mexican vegetables, elotes, esquires, or some Southern style green beans on the side.
- Salads: Side salads are the perfect side for any meal, some of our favorites include this Autumn apple salad, the classic wedge salad, or make a house salad with our homemade ranch, or blue cheese dressing.
- Cornbread: This beef casserole already has a biscuit crust, but cornbread would make a great pairing option, try our classic buttermilk cornbread or spice it up with our jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins.
Storage Information
- Storage: keep leftover John Wayne casserole in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: allow the casserole to cool completely, then wrap in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Reheating: cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until warmed through.
More Casserole Recipes
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Walking Taco Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
- Pulled Pork King Ranch Casserole
John Wayne Casserole
This easy-to-make John Wayne Casserole features a chile-spiced ground beef mixture with bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion with melty cheese, all on top of buttery, flaky biscuits.
Ingredients
- 8 refrigerated biscuits
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- ⅓ cup onion diced
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomato
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Optional Toppings
- diced tomato
- fresh cilantro
- sliced jalapeño
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Layer the biscuits in an even layer on the bottom of the dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the biscuits bake, cook the ground beef by adding to a medium size skillet over medium heat. Break apart the meat while it cooks.
- Add in the bell pepper, onion and seasoning. Stir to coat everything with the seasoning mix and continue to cook until the ground beef is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Stir in diced tomatoes.
- In a small bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Stir to combine.
- Once the biscuits have baked for 15 minutes, remove the dish from the oven. Add the ground beef mixture over the top, spreading to create an even layer.
- Spoon the cream mixture on top, spreading it out with the back of a spoon to evenly coat the meat.
- Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake 20 minutes until the casserole is bubbling along the edges and the cheese is fully melted on top.
- Serve while warm.
Notes
- Storage: keep leftover John Wayne casserole in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: allow the casserole to cool completely, then wrap in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Reheating: cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 833mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 981IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography by the talented @KJandCompany.co
I will now have lots of new Mexican recipes to try. They all look fabulous. I can tell by the ingredients and method of cooking that my family will love them. Thank you so much for such lovely delicious variety.
Another winner of a recipe!! Hubby loves anything involving biscuits and ground beef. This recipe is so easy to put together and it makes a lot so you can feed a family or have leftovers. I had to use a red bell pepper as I discovered my green ones looked a little old, but it was still delicious! Thank you for another great recipe !