The BEST John Wayne Casserole Recipe Ever (Prepped In 10 Minutes)

This John Wayne casserole recipe is loaded with flavor. It combines taco seasoned ground beef with peppers and onions, and then all of that deliciousness is layered on top of a buttery biscuit-like crust and topped with a creamy cheesy mixture. Honestly, it might be one of the most delicious casseroles you ever make! Plus, it's super simple to make too - all you have to follow are just 3 simple steps to make it.

The Best John Wayne Casserole

Ok, so first off, you might be wondering why this recipe is called John Wayne casserole. Well, the initial version of the recipe was created by John Wayne himself, and he actually shared it in a cookbook back in the '70s called "Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends".

Now, since then there have been several takes on the casserole, and this is ours. We like to think that this is an elevated - and even more delicious - version of the cheesy casserole Wayne shared all of those years ago.

I mean, this recipe is just jam-packed with flavor. It starts off with a buttery biscuit layer, followed by a layer of spiced taco meat and veggies, and then all of that deliciousness gets topped off with a layer of creamy, melty cheese.

Gah, it's just so good!

You can think of it as almost like a taco casserole, but it's so much better. And that's saying something because taco casseroles are pretty darn good. 

What's even better is that this dish comes together in just about 30 minutes and with just a handful of simple ingredients. Plus, the process of making it is super easy. In fact, just 3 steps are all it takes to get this casserole baked to perfection and on the table for a big family dinner.

Oh, and speaking of easy casseroles, if you want to give some more easy casserole recipes a try, you'll want to check out this cheeseburger casserole and chicken pot pie casserole next!

Ingredients

As I mentioned above, the ingredient list here is pretty simple. In fact, you may even have everything you need in your pantry or fridge to make it right now.

Anyway, here are all of the ingredients you'll need to make this John Wayne casserole recipe:

• 2 cups Biscuit Baking Mix
• 1 cup Water
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Green Pepper, dcied
• ½ Onion, diced
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 2 tbsp. Taco Seasoning
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• ½ cup Mayonnaise
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Pretty simple stuff, right? 

By the way, you can use a lot of these same ingredients to make this Doritos casserole next! So, if you end up having some extras of 'em I def recommend giving that recipe a shot. 

How To Make John Wayne Casserole

Now it's time for the fun part, making the casserole!

As I mentioned earlier, it could not be easier to make this recipe. You just have to do a little prep work and then the oven does all of the heavy lifting - or uh, cooking.

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get cooking.

Step 1: Make The Biscuit Dough

First, you'll want to begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (180ºC). Then grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.

Next, add the biscuit baking mix and water to a bowl and mix until they fully combine. Then, spread the biscuit batter evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Step 2: Make The Ground Beef Mixture

Now that the first layer is done, it's time to work on the bulk of the filling.

So, to make that, add some olive oil to a large skillet and put it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Then, once the pan is hot, you can add the onions and peppers to it and cook for about 10 minutes - until they're soft.

Now, once the peppers and onions get soft, you can add the ground beef into the pan - break it apart - and cook it until it's browned on all sides. Finally, you can add the taco seasoning to the pan with a splash of water, and stir everything to coat the beef, peppers, and onions in the seasoning. 

Step 3: Bake The Casserole

Ok, now that the filling is good to go, you can evenly spread it over the biscuit layer in the casserole dish. Then, after you've added the filling, you can top it with the diced tomatoes and green chiles.

So, now it's time to make the most delicious component of this casserole, the cream cheese mixture. To do that, add sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheddar cheese to a mixing bowl and mix until the ingredients thoroughly combine

Then, to finish up, top the casserole with the cream cheese mixture and bake it for 25 minutes or until it's bubbly and golden brown on top.

Finally, let this John Wayne casserole cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve warm.

Enjoy!

How To Store John Wayne Casserole

This recipe for John Wayne casserole makes about 6 large servings. So it really makes a great option for a big family dinner, or meal prep for the week.

With that said, if you end up having leftovers, you can either put a lid on the casserole dish - and store it that way - or you can transfer everything to an airtight container. Stored either of these ways your leftovers will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Alternatively, if you want to store this John Wayne casserole for even longer, then you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

How To Reheat John Wayne Casserole

Now, if you want to reheat this John Wayne casserole recipe, I recommend using the oven. So, to do that, you'll just want to put the casserole dish back in the oven at 350°F and heat it for about 10 minutes - or until the casserole is fully warmed through.

Alternatively, you can reheat your casserole in the microwave in 20-second increments until the cheese has melted and it reaches your desired temperature. 

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make John Wayne casserole!

There's just something about this recipe that makes it so, so good. We're obsessed with it at our house.

Seriously, it might be one of my/our favorite casserole recipes ever! I don't know if it's the creamy sauce on top, the flaky biscuits on the bottom, or the flavor-packed ground beef filling. Either way, there's just something extra good about this cheesy ground beef casserole recipe. 

Anyway, as always, if you give this John Wayne casserole recipe a try, leave a comment below and tell us how it went!

More Casserole Recipes

If you're looking for more easy to make casserole recipes - just like this John Wayne casserole - we have a ton on the blog you can try out next!

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Million dollar chicken casserole
• Cheddars broccoli cheese casserole
• Chicken divan
• Ground turkey casserole
• Crack chicken casserole
• Corn casserole

Oh, and for even more easy recipes, don't forget to follow us on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. We post new ones on them every single day.

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