John Wayne Casserole

Ahhh.....John Wayne, how my husband loves you so!  Seriously - he is obsessed with John Wayne.  He owns every movie he ever made.  We went to Jamaica about 7 yrs ago, and while there we did a horseback riding on the beach excursion.  The leaders of our group gave everyone a nickname (must have been their way of remembering people), and as fate would have it, my husband was given the name John Wayne.  That was all it took for him to start channeling John Wayne and he displayed horseback riding skills I never knew he had (honestly, I don't think even he knew he was that good on a horse)!  He went to the front of the line and lead the group....it was pretty hysterical to watch actually!  Made for one great memory that I will hold dear to my heart forever ♥.

When I came across this recipe for John Wayne Casserole I knew I needed to make it for him.  Not so much because of what's in it, but because of the name alone!  If nothing else, I figured I'd get a chuckle by just making it and serving it to him.  Turns out this recipe is very similar to one I already make on a semi-regular basis - Taco Casserole, click here for recipe.  Because of my current restricted diet, I was not able to enjoy this meal with my husband and son.  However, they both really liked it.  I think in the future I will combine the two recipes and see how that goes over.  If you are looking for something different, give this recipe a try.

  John Wayne Casserole (adapted from Mississippi Magazine)

1 lb ground beef (or you can use venison)
1/2 packet of taco seasoning (I used 4-6 tbsp of my homemade taco seasoning, click here for recipe)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup canned jalapeno peppers, diced
1 cup Bisquick mix

Preheat oven to 325, and spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.  In a medium skillet, brown the meat.  Add the taco seasoning and water (according to package instructions), stir and remove from heat and set aside.  While your meat is browning, saute the onion and bell pepper together in a small pan with a little butter or olive oil until slightly tender - about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.  In a medium bowl stir together the Bisquick and about a 1/2 cup of water until it forms a soft dough.  Pat the dough evenly into the bottom of the baking dish, and up the sides some if you can.  Evenly distribute on top of the dough the meat, then the diced tomato, the green pepper & onion mix, the diced jalapenos, the sour cream mixture, then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes, or until edges of dough are lightly browned.