High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole is a hearty slow cooker dinner filled with ground turkey, turkey bacon, black beans, corn, tomatoes, vegetables, and warm Southwestern-inspired seasonings. It brings plenty of satisfying ingredients together in one pot while keeping the preparation simple enough for a busy day.
The ground turkey and black beans provide the protein-rich foundation. Meanwhile, crisp turkey bacon adds smoky flavor, and corn brings a touch of sweetness. Bell pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes round out the vegetables. Finally, chili powder, cumin, and paprika create a warm, savory flavor throughout the casserole.
High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole requires about 15 minutes of preparation before the slow cooker handles most of the work. Cook everything on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, then add optional cheddar during the final 15 minutes for a cheesy finish.
I like slow cooker dinners most when the preparation happens almost entirely at the beginning. Browning the turkey and crisping the bacon takes a few extra minutes, but after that, this recipe becomes wonderfully hands-off. I also like that every bowl can taste a little different depending on the toppings. Some people reach for extra cheddar and sour cream, while others prefer avocado, green onions, or hot sauce. When I have extra vegetables in the refrigerator, I often see this kind of casserole as an easy opportunity to use them. The result still feels like a complete, comforting meal without needing several separate dishes.
High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole: Easy Hearty Dinner
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook the turkey bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove it from the skillet and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the ground turkey to the same skillet. Cook until browned and completely cooked through, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess liquid if necessary.
- Transfer the cooked ground turkey to the crock pot and add the chopped turkey bacon.
- Add the drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced tomatoes.
- Pour in the beef broth and add the chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir everything together until thoroughly combined. Cover the crock pot.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, keeping the slow cooker covered as much as possible.
- If using cheddar cheese, sprinkle it evenly over the casserole during the final 15 minutes. Cover again and allow the cheese to melt.
- Give the casserole a final stir if desired and serve hot with optional green onions, sour cream, avocado, extra cheese, or hot sauce.
Notes
Preparing the Turkey and Turkey Bacon
Crisp the Turkey Bacon First
Start with 6 slices of turkey bacon.
Place them in a skillet over medium heat and cook until crisp.
Once the bacon reaches your preferred texture, transfer it from the skillet and let it cool briefly. Then chop it into bite-sized pieces.
Cooking the turkey bacon first gives it a better texture than adding it raw directly to the slow cooker.
Additionally, the smoky flavor complements the ground turkey, beans, tomatoes, and spices in High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole.
Set the chopped bacon aside while you prepare the ground turkey.
Using the same skillet also keeps the preparation straightforward and limits the number of dishes you’ll need to wash later.
Brown the Ground Turkey
Add 1 pound ground turkey to the same skillet.
Cook over medium heat, breaking the turkey into small crumbles as it browns.
Continue cooking until the ground turkey cooks completely through.
If excess liquid collects in the skillet, carefully drain it before transferring the meat to the crock pot.
Browning the turkey first gives the finished High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole a better texture and ensures the meat cooks before it joins the remaining ingredients.
Transfer the cooked ground turkey to the slow cooker.
Next, add the chopped turkey bacon.
At this stage, you have the savory base ready for the vegetables, beans, corn, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings.
Building the Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole
Add the Beans and Vegetables
Drain and rinse 1 can black beans.
Drain 1 can corn as well.
Add both to the crock pot with the cooked ground turkey and turkey bacon.
Next, add 1 chopped bell pepper and 1 chopped onion.
Mince 2 garlic cloves and add them to the mixture.
Pour in 1 cup diced tomatoes.
The combination of black beans, corn, pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes gives High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole plenty of texture in every serving.
You can use any color bell pepper you enjoy. Red, yellow, and orange peppers provide a slightly sweeter flavor, while green bell pepper gives the casserole a more pronounced savory pepper flavor.
Add the Broth and Seasonings
Pour 2 cups beef broth into the crock pot.
Next, sprinkle in 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon paprika.
Add ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Stir everything together until the ground turkey, turkey bacon, vegetables, beans, corn, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings become evenly distributed.
The broth provides enough liquid for the ingredients to cook together during the long slow-cooking period.
Meanwhile, cumin and chili powder provide the familiar warm flavors that work especially well with beans, corn, and tomatoes.
Once everything looks thoroughly combined, cover the slow cooker.
Now High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole can cook slowly while the flavors blend together.
Slow Cooking and Adding the Cheese
Cook Low and Slow
Set the slow cooker to LOW.
Cook the casserole for 6 to 8 hours.
Because you’ve already cooked the ground turkey and turkey bacon, this long cooking period primarily softens the vegetables and allows the different flavors to come together.
Keep the slow cooker covered as much as possible during cooking.
Every time you remove the lid, heat escapes and the cooking process can slow down.
Near the end, stir the High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole and check the vegetables.
The onion and bell pepper should become tender, while the beans and corn should remain recognizable throughout the casserole.
Melt the Optional Cheddar
If you’re using cheese, measure 1 cup shredded cheddar.
During the final 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the cheddar evenly over the top of the casserole.
Replace the lid.
Allow the cheese to melt before serving.
For a cheesier presentation, you can leave most of the melted cheddar on top. Alternatively, give everything a final stir to distribute the cheese throughout the casserole.
The cheddar remains optional, so you can easily leave it out when you prefer the casserole without cheese.
Either way, serve High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole hot.
The combination of turkey, bacon, beans, corn, vegetables, and seasonings already gives each bowl plenty of flavor before you add any toppings.
Serving and Customizing Cowboy Casserole
Add Your Favorite Toppings
One of the easiest ways to customize High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole is with toppings.
Add extra shredded cheddar if you want more cheesy flavor.
Chopped green onions provide freshness and a mild onion bite. Sour cream creates a cool, creamy contrast to the warm seasonings.
Diced or sliced avocado also works well with the black beans, corn, and tomatoes.
For additional heat, finish each bowl with a little hot sauce.
Instead of adding every topping directly to the slow cooker, place several options on the table. Everyone can then customize an individual serving.
This approach works particularly well for family dinners or casual gatherings because each person can choose a different combination.
Store and Reheat Leftovers
Transfer cooled leftovers to covered containers and refrigerate them.
You can store the casserole in one large container or divide it into individual portions for convenient meals.
When reheating, stir the casserole so the broth, vegetables, meat, and beans remain evenly distributed.
If the mixture thickens during storage, add a small splash of broth before reheating.
Then finish the warm casserole with fresh toppings rather than storing delicate toppings such as avocado or sour cream directly in the casserole.
High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole also makes a practical meal-prep option because it already combines meat, beans, and vegetables in each serving.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 6 slices turkey bacon
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, drained
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
- Chopped green onions, optional for serving
- Sour cream, optional for serving
- Avocado, optional for serving
- Hot sauce, optional for serving
Instructions
- Cook the turkey bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove it from the skillet and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the ground turkey to the same skillet. Cook until browned and completely cooked through, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess liquid if necessary.
- Transfer the cooked ground turkey to the crock pot and add the chopped turkey bacon.
- Add the drained black beans, drained corn, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced tomatoes.
- Pour in the beef broth. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir everything thoroughly, then cover the crock pot.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- If using cheddar, sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese over the casserole during the final 15 minutes. Cover again and allow the cheese to melt.
- Give the casserole a final stir if desired and serve hot with green onions, sour cream, avocado, extra cheese, or hot sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I brown the turkey before adding it to the crock pot?
Browning cooks the ground turkey completely before slow cooking and gives it a crumbled texture throughout the casserole. Drain any excess liquid before transferring the turkey to the crock pot.
Can I make High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole without cheese?
Yes. The shredded cheddar is optional. You can leave it out completely or offer cheese at the table so each person can decide whether to add it.
Do I need to drain the beans and corn?
Yes. Drain and rinse the black beans before adding them. Drain the canned corn as well. The recipe uses 2 cups beef broth as its primary added cooking liquid.
What toppings work with cowboy casserole?
Extra shredded cheddar, chopped green onions, sour cream, avocado, and hot sauce all work well. You can place several toppings on the table and let everyone customize a bowl.
Can I add more vegetables?
Yes. Additional vegetables can make the casserole even more substantial. Choose vegetables that hold up well during slow cooking, or add more delicate vegetables closer to the end.
Conclusion
High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole delivers a hearty combination of ground turkey, turkey bacon, black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and garlic in an easy slow cooker meal.
Chili powder, cumin, and paprika season the broth while everything cooks together for 6 to 8 hours. Then optional cheddar melts over the casserole during the final 15 minutes.
The toppings make the meal especially flexible. Serve High Protein Crock Pot Cowboy Casserole with green onions, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, or additional shredded cheese.
With only about 15 minutes of initial preparation and plenty of satisfying ingredients in every bowl, this casserole makes an easy choice for busy days, family dinners, or make-ahead meals.
