Cattle Drive Casserole Is My New Favorite Dinner

Cattle drive casserole is a Tex-Mex-inspired dinner that’s serious comfort food. This is everything a casserole is supposed to be—cheesy, full of flavor, and a complete meal in every bite! An easy biscuit base is piled with taco-seasoned beef, tomatoes, and green chiles, then topped with a tangy combination of sour cream and two kinds of cheese.

This complete meal is sure to gather the whole family around the dinner table in no time. Serve with hot sauce for the spice lovers.

Make It Ahead

You can assemble this casserole and freeze it, covered tightly, for up to 3 months. To bake it from frozen, leave it covered with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F until heated through. Alternatively, leave the frozen casserole in the fridge to thaw for a night or two. Bake as directed, adding about 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time. 

Casserole Time

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Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Par-bake the biscuit bottom:

Stir the baking mix, milk, and 1 tablespoon of the oil together in a medium bowl. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake until just starting to turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the beef:

While the base cooks, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through but with some pink remaining, for about 5 minutes. 

Add the onion and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the beef into small pieces, until the beef is cooked through and the onions start to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and salt until evenly combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the topping:

In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 cup of the pepper jack cheese, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese; set aside.

Assemble the casserole and bake:

Spoon the beef mixture evenly over the par-baked biscuit in the baking dish. Sprinkle the drained diced tomatoes and green chiles evenly on top of the beef. Spoon the mayonnaise mixture over the beef and tomatoes and gently spread to cover. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 cup each of pepper jack and cheddar cheese. 

Bake until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted and starting to turn brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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