Cattle Drive Casserole
Cattle Drive Casserole is made with a bottom layer of cheddar bay biscuit crust, then a seasoned taco beef layer and topped with a creamy, cheesy topping!
A Filling, Comforting Casserole Recipe
I have no idea why this Cattle Drive Casserole is named this, but it sure is delicious. I don’t think anybody working a cattle drive has any of these ingredients on hand in their saddle bags, but hey, it sounds neat and it grabs folks attention, right? However, I do think someone who was working a cattle drive would appreciate this hearty casserole after a long day of hard work! It’s hearty, it’s filling, and it’s very tasty. It’s not the prettiest of casseroles (really, what casseroles are, lol) but it is definitely rib sticking and filling and a family pleaser!
Very good and easy to make! This will be perfect for heating up for dinner again tonight. Husband and kids all loved it. Thank you, we love all of your recipes. You are our go-to recipe site!
– Allison
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You get more flavor from the cheddar bay biscuit mix but that’s only because it has the garlic herb seasoning packet. The biscuit mix that comes in the box is just a standard biscuit mix – nothing special really so you could certainly use Bisquick and add about a teaspoon of garlic powder to it. I think you’d need about 2 cups of Bisquick. I even have a homemade Bisquick mix if you’d like to try that!
This would be so good with a cornbread mix too! You’d probably need two packets (7 ounce packets) and just follow the instructions on the back of the packet (milk and eggs) then bake for about 15 minutes then finish with the rest of the recipe.
Feel free to add your favorite toppings like sliced jalapeños, diced avocado, a dollop of guacamole or some sliced olives for extra flavor when serving.
Adjust the heat by choosing mild or hot diced green chilies and taco seasoning. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
Add diced bell peppers, corn, refried beans, black beans, or a can or two of Mexicorn, to the beef mixture for added texture and flavor. If you love fresh herbs, sprinkle chopped cilantro or green onions on top before serving.
This filling Cattle Drive Casserole would be perfect with a big salad with your favorite dressing and some of your favorite vegetables. You can do some Corn on the Cob, sides of vegetables, or grab a bag of those frozen steamable veggies and toss them in the microwave. Add some crusty bread and it’s a new favorite meal.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix– make sure to keep the seasoning packet as you’ll need it too. But, you don’t need to add the cheese that the box instructions speak of. If you really want to trade this out because you can’t find that particular mix – no worries! I talk more about this above in the FAQ section and give some other suggestions.
- ground beef – you can use ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer.
- onion – don’t like onion? Just leave it out.
- taco seasoning– grab a packet of your favorite seasoning or use some Homemade Taco Seasoning.
- water – this is used for taco seasoning and a separate amount for the biscuit mix
- fire-roasted diced tomatoes– if you don’t like fire roasted tomatoes, you can use a can of regular petite diced tomatoes or a can of Rotel.
- diced green chilies – this really doesn’t add spiciness in my opinion but if you have absolutely zero tolerance to any kind of kick of spice at all, just leave it out.
- shredded Colby Jack cheese– While Colby Jack cheese works well, you can substitute it with cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend for a slightly different taste.
- mayonnaise – sounds weird I know but it works. Personally I don’t think you taste it as a separate ingredient so even mayonnaise haters won’t know it’s in there. If you don’t mind this layer being a little more tangy, you could use all sour cream.
- sour cream– I always get comments that someones husband doesn’t like sour cream. So, if you don’t like sour cream, try plain Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, or just leave it out but I think you really need something to mix with the mayonnaise for this layer so I do feel like you need that balance here. So if there is something you normally substitute for sour cream – just use that here.
How To Make Cattle Drive Casserole
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, prepare the biscuit dough by combining the Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix, 3/4 cup cold water, and garlic herb seasoning. Mix until just combined. Spread the dough evenly across the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. If you find it too sticky to spread, just spray your clean hands with a little cooking spray and spread it out and gently press it down a little.
Bake for 5-8 minutes, just until the dough is set. Remove from the oven and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Once the beef is browned and fully cooked, drain any excess grease if needed.
Stir in the taco seasoning, 1/4 cup water, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and green chilies. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread the beef mixture evenly over the partially baked biscuit layer in the casserole dish.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese.
Spread this mixture evenly over the beef layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded Colby Jack cheese over the top.
Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, or until the top is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with dried parsley flakes before serving. Enjoy!
Craving More Recipes?
Cattle Drive Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 box Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (including the seasoning packet)
- ¾ cup cold water (for biscuit mix)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ¼ cup water (for taco seasoning)
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 ounce can diced green chilies, undrained
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese (divided use)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, prepare the biscuit dough by combining 1 box Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (including the seasoning packet) and 3/4 cup cold water. Mix until just combined. Spread the dough evenly across the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. If you find it too sticky to spread, just spray your clean hands with a little cooking spray and spread it out and gently press it down a little.
- Bake for 5-8 minutes, just until the dough is set. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook 1 pound ground beef with 1 medium onion, diced, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Once the beef is browned and fully cooked, drain any excess grease if needed.
- Stir in 1 packet taco seasoning, 1/4 cup water, 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained and 4 ounce can diced green chilies, undrained. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spread the beef mixture evenly over the partially baked biscuit layer in the casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese. Spread this mixture evenly over the beef layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese over the top.
- Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, or until the top is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- This recipe makes 6-8 servings.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
in the beginning you said preheat oven to 375. but then said cook the biscuit dough at 350? which is it?
Where is that exactly? It should be 375F 🙂
I made this and it’s delicious. I used the frozen Cheddar Bay Biscuits that come in a box because I have bad arthritis in my fingers, so spreading out the mix was going to be a struggle. I placed the biscuits in my casserole dish and put them in the oven until they were almost done, took them out of the oven, and then followed the rest of the recipe as given. Thank you for a great meal idea!
That’s a great idea Tina! Love hearing that!
this was fantastic! my husband especially loved it! I’ve made something similar under the name “John Wayne cassarole” whatever its called ..it is delicious! the red lobster biscuits kick it up a notch
This was so good, and very filling. I’m definitely adding this to my regular rotation.
Love hearing that Stephanie! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and comment!
Very good and easy to make! This will be perfect for heating up for dinner again tonight. Husband and kids all loved it. Thank you, we love all of your recipes. You are our go-to recipe site!
Thanks so much Allison! So happy all of you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment!
Absolutely delicious! My husband had three servings – ha! He said to keep this one on regular rotation and that is high praise coming from him – the picky eater!
YUM!
Oh my, this was excellent! We all really loved the flavor. My husband made it for all of us and my house smelled amazing when I walked in from work. Just wanted to come back and let you know since I don’t know if he will LOL
Yay! Thanks so much Darcy! I really do appreciate when folks come back to let me know how a recipe turned out. Thank you!
I made about 6 of these casseroles for a Church Group and everyone loved this! All of the casseroles were gone, there were no leftovers and people wanted 2nd, even 3rd helpings!! I also shared the recipe upon request with several church families!! It was delicious and my own family of 3 loved it as well. So much in fact that it has now become part of my families meal menu! Thank you so much!
Do you think this could be put in the freezer prior to cooking?
I think you could