John Wayne Casserole has been around for decades, and once you taste it you’ll understand why it stuck around. It’s got that combination of savory beef, creamy layers, and a biscuit base that makes it the kind of dinner people go back for seconds on without thinking twice.
The story goes that the Duke himself submitted this recipe to a charity cookbook back in the day. Whether that’s fully accurate or not, the name fits — it’s a big, no-fuss, satisfying dish that doesn’t pretend to be anything fancy.
This is a great one to make when you need to feed a crowd or want something hearty that reheats well. It comes together quickly and most of the ingredients are things you probably already have on hand.
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John Wayne Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (16.3 ounce) can refrigerated biscuits
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 medium onion halved and sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper halved and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- 2 medium tomatoes sliced
- 1 (4 ounce) jar sliced jalapeno peppers drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Place and press biscuit dough into the bottom of the baking pan and halfway up the sides.
- Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
- 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.
- Add onion and bell peppers to the same skillet and cook over medium heat until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
- Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese, and 1/2 of the onion-pepper mixture in a bowl.
- Layer browned meat, tomatoes, onion-pepper mixture, jalapeno peppers, and sour cream mixture on top of the prebaked biscuit dough. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until cheese is lightly browned and bubble, 30 to 40 minutes.
