Slow Cooker Amish Beef and Corn Casserole is savory ground beef, sweet corn and a creamy mushroom sauce seasoned with onion soup mix, finished with melted cheddar. It is a five-ingredient, no-browning crockpot supper for the busiest days, and it is great over mashed potatoes.
How to make Amish beef and corn casserole: Crumble raw ground beef into the slow cooker, sprinkle with onion soup mix, add drained corn, then spread cream of mushroom soup mixed with cheddar on top. Cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours, stir, top with more cheese and let it melt.
Why You’ll Love It
Five ingredients: ground beef, corn, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar and onion soup mix.
No browning: the raw beef goes straight into the slow cooker.
Ten minutes of prep: layer and walk away.
Feeds 8: two pounds of beef make a big, hearty batch.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: Two pounds of 80 to 85% lean. It cooks right in the crock; a slightly leaner blend means less fat to spoon off at the end.
Whole kernel corn: Two 15-ounce cans, drained well. Extra liquid would thin the sauce.
Cream of mushroom soup: One undiluted can, mixed with half the cheddar, makes the creamy layer. Cream of chicken works too.
Onion soup mix: One packet seasons the whole casserole. It is salty, so taste before adding any salt.
Cheddar: One cup, divided. Half goes into the sauce and half melts on top at the end. I save the topping cheese until the last few minutes so it stays gooey instead of turning oily.
Ingredients
2 lb ground beef (80-85% lean)
2 cans (15 oz each) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
1 packet (1 oz) dry onion soup mix
How to Make Amish Beef and Corn Casserole
1. Add the beef. Crumble the raw ground beef evenly into the bottom of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Add the seasoning and corn. Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the beef, then spread the drained corn on top.
3. Add the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the condensed soup with 1/2 cup of the cheddar. Spoon it over the corn and spread it as evenly as possible.
4. Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef reaches 160°F.
5. Stir. Near the end of cooking, spoon off any excess fat, then stir to break up the beef and combine the layers. Smooth the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6. Melt the cheese. Cover for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese melts. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve warm.
Why It Works Without Browning the Beef
Crumbling the raw beef into an even layer is the key. It cooks gently in the slow cooker’s moist heat, picking up flavor from the onion soup mix above it, and it breaks into tender crumbles when you stir it at the end.
The one thing browning usually does is remove fat, so do that at the end instead: tilt the crock slightly and spoon off any pooled fat before stirring. The sauce stays creamy instead of greasy.
A thermometer confirms it is done. Ground beef is safe at 160°F; I check the middle of the crock, where the beef is thickest, before stirring in the final cheese.
Tips for Success
Why is my casserole greasy?
The fat was not spooned off. Remove it before stirring, or use a leaner ground beef.
Why is it too salty?
Onion soup mix and condensed soup are both salty. Skip any added salt, and use a reduced-sodium soup if you like.
Why are there big clumps of beef?
The beef went in as a solid block. Crumble it into small pieces as you add it, and break it up again when you stir at the end.
Make It a Full Meal
This casserole is rich and savory, so pair it with something simple. Mashed potatoes are the classic Amish-style partner, spooned into a bowl with the beef and corn on top. Buttered egg noodles or rice work just as well, and a crisp green salad or pickled vegetables on the side cut through the creamy sauce.
Variations
Cream of chicken: use it in place of cream of mushroom soup.
Add potatoes: layer diced potatoes under the beef for a heartier meal.
Tex-Mex: swap the corn for Mexican-style corn and use a pepper jack topping.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until it reaches 165°F; never reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Warm biscuits are good on the side, too. For more Amish slow cooker dinners, try Amish ground beef noodle casserole or Amish ground beef gravy noodles. For a corn side dish, there is easy creamy corn casserole, and for oven-baked beef dinners, hobo casserole, beef Lombardi casserole and hamburger potato casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amish country casserole?
A simple, hearty casserole of ground beef, a creamy sauce and pantry vegetables or noodles, the kind of plain, filling food associated with Amish home cooking. This beef and corn version is one easy example.
What are the 5 ingredients in this beef and corn casserole?
Ground beef, canned corn, condensed cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese and a packet of dry onion soup mix.
Can I put raw ground beef in the slow cooker?
Yes, for this recipe. Crumble it evenly and cook until it reaches 160°F, then spoon off the fat before stirring.
Slow Cooker Amish Beef and Corn Casserole
Ingredients
2 lb ground beef 80-85% lean
2 cans whole kernel corn 15 oz each, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 10.5 oz, undiluted
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded, divided
1 packet dry onion soup mix 1 oz
Instructions
Crumble raw ground beef evenly into the bottom of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.
Sprinkle onion soup mix evenly over the beef, then spread drained corn over the top.
In a small bowl, mix condensed soup with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar. Spoon over the corn and spread as evenly as possible.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
Near the end of cooking, spoon off any excess fat, then stir through the casserole to break up the beef and combine the layers. Smooth the top and sprinkle the remaining cheese over it.
Cover again for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese melts. Taste, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve warm.