John Wayne Casserole Shortcut – We were in the mood for something Mexican-y, but I didn’t have any taco or burrito shells in the house. I did have 2 cans of biscuits in the fridge needing to be put to good use and lots of cheese. I’d made a John Wayne Casserole before, but it called for elbow mac, eggs, and sliced tomatoes. No one in the house particularly cared for it. I loved the idea of this easy casserole, though, and wanted to give it another try. So I changed it up to better suit our tastes based on a few different, yet similar, recipes. This was the result and it was a smashing success!

You could add the corn into the casserole as one of the layers. Or just keep it on the side. And if you love jalapenos, add a few in. I just let my guys liberally douse their portions with Texas Pete or Frank’s. 😎

John Wayne Casserole Shortcut
- 2 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped or 2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
- 2 pkgs. taco seasoning mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups sour cream
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 7.5 oz. cans of biscuits
- 2 – 10 oz. cans Ro-tel, your choice of heat/flavor
- 1 can diced green chilis, your choice of heat level
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
Brown ground beef and onions together, then drain fat. Mix in taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes or so just to let the sauce thicken slightly. Remove from heat.
In separate bowl, mix together sour cream, 2 cups cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, salt, & pepper.
Press biscuit dough in the bottom of the dish. Spread taco meat evenly over biscuits, then spread sour cream mixture over meat. Dot all over with Ro-tel and then green chilis. Finish off with the remaining 2 cups shredded cheese.
Bake 23-28 minutes or until edges of dough are lightly browned. Over-baking will result in tough biscuits.
Serve with shredded lettuce, extra salsa, and sliced or mashed avocado (or make guacamole without lime juice – it ruins the flavor of the avocado), if desired.
Happy eating! ðŸ¤
That sounds good. just love Mexican food. I wonder how it would turn out with imitation meat. (vegetarian here)
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It is! I think it would turn out just as good with imitation meat. The next time I make it, I’m going to use crescent rolls for the crust and see how that tastes. Maybe I’ll call that version “Mae West Casserole.” 😉
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That would be a perfect name for it! 🙂
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🙂
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