Main Dishes Casserole Recipes Beef Ground Beef Cowboy Mashed Potato Casserole 4.6 (18) 16 Reviews 2 Photos This cowboy mashed potato casserole, a smoky beef and veggie mixture topped with creamy mashed potatoes, is like a cowboy version of a shepherds pie. The crispy bacon and French fried onions on top add crunch and flavor. By Kathryn Hendrix, RDN, LD Kathryn Hendrix, RDN, LD Kathryn Hendrix is a Registered Dietitian and Culinary School Graduate. She specializes in Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, Gluten Free, and Nutrition. She has over 10 years culinary experience and has been cooking vegan her whole life. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on February 27, 2025 Tested by Sarah Brekke Tested by Sarah Brekke Sarah Brekke is a culinary professional with over 10 years of experience food media. With a background in both culinary and food sciences, she uses her skills to develop, test, and modify recipes to make them as tasty and practical as possible. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 2 2 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings cooking spray 6 strips bacon 2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk or whole milk 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 pound ground beef 1 cup chopped onion 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/4 cup barbecue sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or pepper Jack cheese 1/4 cup canned French fried onions 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley Directions Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Place baking dish on a baking sheet. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Place bacon on a paper towel to drain. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet. Chop bacon when cool enough to handle. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and return to a boil. Cook, covered, until potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes. Return potatoes back to the pot along with evaporated milk, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Mash potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. Stir 1/4 cup chopped bacon into mashed potatoes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Add ground beef, onion, and bell pepper to the skillet with reserved bacon fat. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Add corn kernels, garlic, and paprika to the skillet. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Stir in barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Spread ground beef mixture in prepared baking dish. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Spread potatoes evenly over beef. Sprinkle with cheese, remaining bacon, and French fried onions. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bake until meat mixture is bubbly and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios I Made It Print 70 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 451 Calories 21g Fat 40g Carbs 26g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 451 % Daily Value * Total Fat 21g 27% Saturated Fat 9g 46% Cholesterol 79mg 26% Sodium 852mg 37% Total Carbohydrate 40g 15% Dietary Fiber 4g 15% Total Sugars 9g Protein 26g 52% Vitamin C 25mg 27% Calcium 167mg 13% Iron 4mg 20% Potassium 1126mg 24% * 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.