Hearty and satisfying John Wayne Casserole is one of my favorite casseroles to make with ground meat. This easy meal is total comfort food, and a delicious family favorite.
Many consider John Wayne Casserole to be the best casserole recipe ever.
While I don’t know if there is any real scientific evidence to prove this superiority, I can certainly understand why it’s a favorite of so many. This casserole is so, so tasty!
It’s also quite filling, hearty, meaty, and perfect for feeding a hungry family at the end of a long day.
What is a John Wayne Casserole, you ask?
This is a deliciously meaty layered casserole with hints of veggies and lots of cheese!
A thick layer of buttery biscuits creates the base layer, which we’ll top with a ground meat and veggie mixture that’s perfectly seasoned with tomatoes, chiles, and your favorite taco seasoning.
After all that, we’ll top our casserole with a creamy cheesy mixture that browns up so beautifully in the oven.
If you love cheesy casseroles, you have to check out my Pizza Casserole recipe next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Step by Step Instructions – This casserole recipe has a few different layers and quite a few steps to get everything cooked and assembled. I am giving you step-by-step photos and directions so you don’t miss a thing.
- Tex Mex Flavors – Anything can be a Tex-Mex casserole when you add a can of ROTEL and some taco seasoning to the mix. This John Wayne casserole recipe uses both of those, plus some veggies and canned biscuits to make a delicious Tex Mex inspired meal.
- Versatile Recipe – You can adjust many things in this recipe to ensure that it meets your family’s needs. I’ll make suggestions along the way of substitutions and changes that you might enjoy.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the best casserole recipe ever:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Biscuits: I tested this recipe using Pillsbury refrigerated canned biscuits. You can use another brand, or even your tried and true homemade biscuit recipe.
- Meat: Use lean ground beef to make the classic version of this recipe. You could also make it with ground turkey, ground game meat, or vegan ground meat if you prefer.
- Taco Seasoning: Typically a mixture of ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, and other spices, this blend gives the dish lots of warm, smoky flavor. Take a look at your seasoning to see if it contains salt. If it does, great! If it doesn’t, you’ll want to add salt as you’re cooking. If you have time, make my homemade taco seasoning, it’s much better than the store-bought stuff!
- ROTEL: If you know it, you already love it. This shortcut canned tomato product is the perfect mix of tomatoes and diced green chilies. You can use the regular, mild, or hot variety, depending on how spicy you like things. Want less spice? Use plain canned tomatoes instead.
- Veggies: Peppers, onions, and canned corn are nutritious and delicious additions to the casserole.
- Creamy Cheese Topping: A blend of mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses.
Tip!
Refrigerated canned biscuits make this recipe super easy! Feel free to make a fresh batch of homemade ones if you have the time though.
How To Make John Wayne Casserole
- Get Ready: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Gather your ingredients.
- Biscuit Layer: Press the biscuits into the casserole dish, overlapping them and making sure to fill in the whole surface. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Cook Beef: While the biscuits are baking, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and cook the ground meat, breaking it up, until it’s fully cooked. Drain off any fat, then season with taco seasoning. Add the water, stir, and cook for 3-4 minutes to combine.
- Finish the Meat Layer: Add the ROTEL and corn to the cooked beef and cook to warm through. Add the meat to the casserole dish on top of the baked biscuits.
- CookPeppers and Onions: Wipe out the skillet, then add another tablespoon of oil and the sliced peppers and onions. Sautee for a few minutes until the veggies are cooked but still crisp. Season with a bit of salt and remove from the heat.
- Mix the Topping: In a bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, onion powder, and half of the cheeses. Stir well to avoid any pockets of seasoning.
- Layer: Add the peppers and onions over the meat layer, then spread the cheese mixture over the veggies. Finally, top the casserole with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake: Cook in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
Recipe Tips
- If you don’t want your casserole to be very spicy, you can replace the Rotel with plain canned tomatoes instead.
- You do not need to add salt to the meat mixture if the taco seasoning you use has salt in it. Most taco seasoning packets have plenty of salt in them already.
- Replace the cheeses here with any melty shredded cheeses that you like. Mexican blend works really well here as well.
Storing Tips
Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days and can be easily reheated in the microwave or oven.
To freeze, transfer leftovers to a freezer container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make this casserole up to three months ahead of time! Simply make the recipe as directed below, including the final bake time. Allow it to cool down completely, then wrap well with plastic wrap and freeze.
To cook, bake in a 350°F/180°C oven until warmed through. I suggest letting it thaw overnight in the fridge so that it bakes more quickly. It should take 40-45 minutes to reheat thawed casserole.
What To Serve With John Wayne Casserole
The beauty of casseroles with meat like this one is that it’s a full and balanced meal all by itself. It includes bread, meat, and veggies, layered into a tasty dish.
You can add light side dishes like a fresh green salad, Mexican fruit salad, or steamed broccoli to up the nutritional value of the meal.
Or you can focus your attention instead on making a delicious dessert, like my Lemon Icebox Cake, or a decadent Red Velvet Layer Cake.
My Best Casserole Recipes
All Main Dishes →
FAQs
In 1979, a recipe contributed by the actor john Wayne (Duke) himself was published in a cookbook entitled “Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends”. The organizer of this cookbook, Cara Connery, was a teenager from Beverly Hills, California, and sold the book as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. She wrote letters to 1,400 famous people, asking them to help! Alan Alda, Robert Redford, Golda Meir, and two US Presidents were also featured in Cara’s cookbook.
The original recipe that Mr. Wayne sent in was a bit different than this one, and was a vegetarian dish made with eggs, vegetables, and cheese. It’s been updated and changed over the years to become the recipe you see right here.
That part of history is a bit foggier. It’s so funny how recipes shift and flow like that! We do know that a hospital in Jackson Mississippi made the current version popular. Likely, they still serve this in their cafeteria every other Thursday. If you’re looking for a breakfast recipe, try my Bisquick Breakfast Casserole.
You can! Use your favorite vegan ground meat substitute in place of the ground beef and enjoy.
I think you’ll agree that John Wayne Casserole is the best casserole recipe ever! It’s the perfect recipe to fill hungry bellies and will be a new family favorite for sure.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
John Wayne Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce can refrigerated large biscuits or homemade
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 pounds ground beef preferably 85% lean
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 1-ounce packet
- ½ teaspoon salt optional. Only add if your taco seasoning is salt free.
- ¼ cup water
- 1 14-ounce can ROTEL diced tomatoes & green chilies see note
- 1 14-ounce can canned corn drained, or 2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Press the biscuits into the bottom of pan so they overlap and cover the entire surface. Bake for 15 minutes.
- In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook and crumble the ground beef until browned. Drain away the fat, then season with taco seasoning. Add salt if needed, then add water and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring to combine. Add the ROTEL tomatoes and cook until the mixture is just warmed through, then pour the meat over the cooked biscuit layer.
- Add the ROTEL tomatoes and the corn to the meat and cook until the mixture is just warmed through, then pour the meat over the cooked biscuit layer.
- Wipe the skillet clean, heat the remaining oil and saute the onion and peppers for about 2 minutes until they are cooked but still firm. Season with a pinch of salt. Layer the vegetables over the ground beef in the casserole dish.
- To make the topping, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder and half of both the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl. Layer this over the vegetables, then sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheeses are melted and starting to brown. Remove from the oven, and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes:
- You can buy ROTEL in mild, original, or hot varieties. Choose your spice level. If you want the casserole extra mild, use plain diced tomatoes instead.
- You do not need to add salt to the meat mixture if the taco seasoning you use has salt in it. Most taco seasoning packets have plenty of salt in them already.
- You can use Mexican blend shredded cheese in place of the mozzarella and cheddar if you prefer.
- Feel free to leave out the corn if you like.
- To Store: Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days and can be easily reheated in the microwave or oven.
- To Freeze: transfer leftovers to a freezer container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Kirk says
Good recipe – easy to make and excellent as leftover.
It seems like there is a couple of errors in the recipe to correct. In step 3, delete the last sentence about adding Rotel to the meat as it is repeated again as step 4 but with the addition of corn. Also, the Rotel I buy only comes in a 10.5 oz size and not a 14 oz size. So do you mean use 1-10.5 oz can or approximately a can & half to get to 14oz?