Description
Cattle Drive Casserole is a hearty, layered dish featuring seasoned ground beef, vegetables, and a creamy cheesy topping atop a golden biscuit crust. Perfect for family dinners, this casserole combines Southwest flavors with a comforting, baked biscuit base for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1.5 pounds Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded, chopped
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 1 ounce Taco Seasoning Mix
Biscuit Layer
- 2 ½ cups Biscuit Mix (like Bisquick)
- 1 cup Water
- Cooking Spray (like Pam)
Sour Cream Mixture
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 4 ounces Diced Green Chiles, drained
- 1 ½ cups Cheddar Cheese, Fiesta Blend, shredded, divided
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Topping
- ½ cup Salsa, mild
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking the biscuit layer and later the entire casserole.
- Cook the Ground Beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon or spatula. Stir occasionally and cook until no pink remains. Drain excess fat from the pan. While this cooks, begin preparing the biscuit dough.
- Prepare the Biscuit Dough: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the biscuit mix and water. Stir well or use your hands to blend until a consistent dough forms. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray, press the dough evenly into the dish, spreading it out to cover the bottom and edges. Bake this biscuit base in the preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes until set and lightly golden. Remove and keep oven temperature steady.
- Cook the Vegetables: Add the chopped onions and red bell pepper to the skillet with the cooked ground beef. Sauté together for about 4 minutes until vegetables soften. Stir in the taco seasoning thoroughly then remove from heat.
- Assemble the Layers: Evenly spread the cooked ground beef and vegetable mixture over the baked biscuit crust in the casserole dish.
- Prepare the Sour Cream Layer: In a separate medium bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, drained diced green chiles, ¾ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic powder until smooth and well combined. Gently spread this creamy mixture over the ground beef layer in the casserole dish.
- Add Salsa and Cheese: Drop spoonfuls of mild salsa sporadically over the sour cream layer without spreading it. Then sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake: Return the casserole, uncovered, to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole is hot, bubbly, and cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef to reduce excess fat and grease in the casserole.
- For spicier flavor, choose a hotter salsa or add jalapeño chiles instead of mild salsa.
- Leftover casserole can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
- Biscuit mix can be substituted with homemade biscuit dough if desired.
- Ensure the biscuit layer is baked before adding toppings to prevent sogginess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/8 of casserole)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
