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Lifting a square of casserole from a baking dish.

John Wayne Casserole

This easy and hearty casserole is a delicious take on the original John Wayne casserole recipe. Cheesy, melty, and oh-so-satisfying.
4.84 from 6 votes
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Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 590kcal
Author: Dolly (Dash for Dinner)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef lean
  • 1 package taco seasoning or 2-3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
  • cup water
  • 16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 ounces diced green chilies undrained
  • 4 large eggs separated
  • cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
  • 1 tablespoon flour (*see notes for keto and gluten free options)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 Roma tomato sliced thinly

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly coat a 9X13” baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, then add in the ground beef. Crumble and cook until no pink remains. Drain.
  • Sprinkle the taco seasoning onto the drained ground beef, along with ⅔ cup of water. Stir well to combine, and cook just until a thickened sauce forms.
  • Transfer the ground beef to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
  • Sprinkle the diced green chilies on top of the ground beef layer, aiming to spread it out as evenly as possible.
  • Combine the shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese and place them on top of the ground beef and green chilies. Set aside.
  • Separate the egg whites from the yolks, placing the egg whites in a medium-sized bowl, and the yolks into a separate medium-sized bowl.
  • Add the heavy cream (or evaporated milk), flour, salt, and cayenne pepper to the yolks and whisk well to combine.
  • Use an electric hand mixer to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  • Transfer the whipped egg whites to the yolk mixture and fold it in gently until fully combined.
  • Pour the egg mixture on top of the cheese into an even layer, spreading it out using the back of a spoon.
  • Place the tomato slices on top of the egg layer and place the dish in the oven.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the egg layer is set and the cheese layer is fully melted and bubbly.
  • Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Without ground beef: The original recipe does not call for ground beef or taco seasoning. I added this to give it more of a traditional casserole feel, but you can absolutely leave it out! Just leave out the ground beef, taco seasoning, and water. Instead, increase the shredded cheddar cheese to a full 16 ounces. 
Shredded cheese: For the best results I recommend using cheese from the block and shredding it by hand. This tastes the best and it melts better than pre-shredded cheese.
*Low carb, keto, and gluten-free: The recipe as written is very low carb! Just swap out the 1 tablespoon of flour that is used as a thickener for almond flour or gluten-free flour blend - both have been tested with great results!

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 1106mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1664IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 667mg | Iron: 3mg