I made this John Wayne casserole on a lark and it ended up being one of the best one-pan meals I’ve discovered!
The John Wayne casserole is a hearty and satisfying dish that’s sure to please everyone at your table. Despite the name, the John Wayne Casserole wasn’t popularized by the actor himself, but by a fundraiser cookbook “Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends” and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Read all about this casserole’s interesting history in our article, What Is a John Wayne Casserole?
John Wayne Casserole Ingredients
This John Wayne casserole recipe is easy to make with basic ingredients. Here's what you'll need to add to your grocery list:
· Biscuits: This convenient dinner starts with a can of refrigerated biscuits.· Beef: You’ll need a pound of ground beef for this meaty casserole.· Taco seasoning: Use store-bought taco seasoning or make your own with our DIY recipe.· Vegetables: Sliced onions and bell peppers are saut?ed together, while sliced tomatoes are layered with the other ingredients. Jarred jalape?os, meanwhile, spice things up a bit.· Sour cream and mayonnaise: A mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise is creamy, tangy, and adds tons of welcome richess.· Cheese: Because isn’t everything better with shredded Cheddar cheese? You could use shredded Pepper Jack if you like a little extra heat.
How to Make John Wayne Casserole
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this top-rated John Wayn casserole:
1. Make the crust: Press the biscuit dough in the bottom and up the sides of a prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned.2. Cook the meat: Cook the beef until crumbly. Drain the fat, stir in seasoning and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. Transfer the meat to a bowl.3. Cook the veggies: In the same pan, cook the sliced onions and peppers until tender.4. Make the creamy layer: Combine the sour cream, mayo, 1/2 of the Cheddar, and 1/2 of the cooked veggies in a bowl.5. Layer and bake the casserole: Layer the meat, tomatoes, onion-pepper mixture, jalape?os, and sour cream mixture on top of the biscuit dough. Sprinkle it with cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
How to Store John Wayne Casserole
Allow the leftover John Wayne casserole to cool completely before storage. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave.
Can You Freeze John Wayne Casserole?
Yes! You can freeze John Wayne casserole for up to three months. If you plan to freeze it, it's best to go ahead and bake it in a foil pan. Wrap tightly with at least one layer of storage wrap and at least one layer of foil. Reheat in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F until totally heated through.
Cookdap Community Tips and Praise
“This was a huge hit with my family,” raves Cookdap Allstar fabeveryday. “The only change I made was to add some salt and garlic powder to the sour cream layer for some extra seasoning for our tastes.”
“My whole family loved this,” says Becca. “I didn’t have fresh tomatoes so I used a can of Rotel. It turned out great. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!”
Ingredients
- 1 (16.3 ounce) can refrigerated biscuits
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
- ¾ cup water
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, halved and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1 (4 ounce) jar sliced jalapeno peppers, drained (Optional)
Directions
Step 1
Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
Step 2
Place and press biscuit dough into the bottom of the baking pan and halfway up the sides.
Step 3
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Step 4
Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook ground beef until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Drain fat. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer cooked meat to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
Step 5
Add onion and bell peppers to the same skillet and cook over medium heat until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese, and 1/2 of the onion-pepper mixture in a bowl.
Step 7
Layer browned meat, tomatoes, onion-pepper mixture, jalape?o peppers, and sour cream mixture on top of prebaked biscuit dough. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese.
Step 8
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.
Editor’s Note
We have moderated this recipe to remove reviews that do not adhere to our community guidelines.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 12 | |
Calories 538 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat41g | 52% |
Saturated Fat16g | 79% |
Cholesterol92mg | 31% |
Sodium781mg | 34% |
Total Carbohydrate21g | 8% |
Dietary Fiber1g | 3% |
Protein21g | |
Potassium351mg | 7% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
Powered by the ESHA Research Database ? 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved
source by allrecipe
-
- by: Kharris2
- 2 years ago
Really enjoyed this return to my childhood. My mother made this often and we always cleaned the dish. The only difference was there weren’t any canned biscuits back then so she used lightly sweetened (like 2 Tbsp) cornmeal mush for the crust. We also all liked black olives so occasionally she would throw them into the mix.
To the lady with the raw onion problem, if you read the recipe again you’ll see that you cook the onion with the peppers before you mix all the filling ingredients together. I don’t care for raw onions either so I always saute them at least until transparent or I go whole hog and caramelize them. Or like the other cook leave them out and use onion powder. -
- by: Kharris2
- 2 years ago
Really enjoyed this return to my childhood. My mother made this often and we always cleaned the dish. The only difference was there weren’t any canned biscuits back then so she used lightly sweetened (like 2 Tbsp) cornmeal mush for the crust. We also all liked black olives so occasionally she would throw them into the mix.
To the lady with the raw onion problem, if you read the recipe again you’ll see that you cook the onion with the peppers before you mix all the filling ingredients together. I don’t care for raw onions either so I always saute them at least until transparent or I go whole hog and caramelize them. Or like the other cook leave them out and use onion powder. -
- by: Linda Pope
- 2 years ago
I made this. My family thought it was really good, although I did make a few changes. No biscuit dough so I used a pie crust,no jalape?os-substituted chipotle in adobo, and added some leftover rice to the peppers and onions while saut?ing..the basic recipe stood fine. I will try it again as written to taste the difference in the original.
-
- by: Linda Pope
- 2 years ago
I made this. My family thought it was really good, although I did make a few changes. No biscuit dough so I used a pie crust,no jalape?os-substituted chipotle in adobo, and added some leftover rice to the peppers and onions while saut?ing..the basic recipe stood fine. I will try it again as written to taste the difference in the original.
-
- by: Gwen
- 2 years ago
I used the refrigerated flaky roll 16 oz can, instead of biscuits. I oiled my rolling pin & flattened each roll on a mat to fit into the bottom of the pan. Instead of jalape?os I used a 4 oz can of green chiles. I used more cheese than called for. I would also use more onions, as you have to divide them.
-
- by: Gwen
- 2 years ago
I used the refrigerated flaky roll 16 oz can, instead of biscuits. I oiled my rolling pin & flattened each roll on a mat to fit into the bottom of the pan. Instead of jalape?os I used a 4 oz can of green chiles. I used more cheese than called for. I would also use more onions, as you have to divide them.
-
- by: Susan C
- 2 years ago
I needed something quick and easy to fix on a week night after a long day at work and this fit the bill perfectly. I substituted poblano for the bell pepper and drained petite diced tomatoes for fresh, used lite mayo and sour cream, and it turned out great! Even my picky husband liked it. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
-
- by: Susan C
- 2 years ago
I needed something quick and easy to fix on a week night after a long day at work and this fit the bill perfectly. I substituted poblano for the bell pepper and drained petite diced tomatoes for fresh, used lite mayo and sour cream, and it turned out great! Even my picky husband liked it. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
-
- by: Charlotte
- 11 months ago
John Wayne was filming in my hometown a long time ago. He stayed at the resort I worked at. He had a breakfast he ordered every day. I’m positive I wrote it down somewhere. If I remember right it was a casserole. He really likes casseroles. It was eggs mixed with white cheese, roasted green chilies, the big ones? A cream sauce that had cheese in it, again White. And a few other things. But basically it was eggs chilies and cheese. He ordered it every morning.
-
- by: Charlotte
- 11 months ago
John Wayne was filming in my hometown a long time ago. He stayed at the resort I worked at. He had a breakfast he ordered every day. I’m positive I wrote it down somewhere. If I remember right it was a casserole. He really likes casseroles. It was eggs mixed with white cheese, roasted green chilies, the big ones? A cream sauce that had cheese in it, again White. And a few other things. But basically it was eggs chilies and cheese. He ordered it every morning.
-
- by: Patbuc66
- 9 months ago
I liked the meat mixture. Something different to do with ground beef that is not the usual meal. I had trouble with the biscuits and i felt the dish was too doughy and bottom burnt. next time I am going to get the layered biscuits and peel in half to make less doughy and cut down on pre-bake. It may have been an issue with the top smaller oven (closer to burner), so I’ll use my bottom oven and put dish on middle rack. But, over-all, the taste was good and worth another try. Family liked as well.
Leave feedback about this