Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Cowboy cornbread casserole is a hearty, satisfying, comforting casserole that’s loaded with Tex-Mex flavors and topped with a rich, cheesy cornbread topping. This is a great dinner option for busy evenings or feeding a large group.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Cowboy cornbread casserole is sort of like a bowl of chili and a side of cornbread all baked into one hearty, Tex-Mex style dish. It’s got some incredible flavors. Savory ground beef, rich taco seasoning, a sweet cornbread topping, and lots of cheddar cheese.
- It’s made with a handful of simple, staple ingredients. Besides the meat, it’s just canned goods, boxed cornbread mix, and some basic dairy items.
- Dress up your cowboy cornbread casserole with your favorite taco or chili toppings. Sour cream, diced jalapeño, diced tomatoes (or pico de gallo), thinly-sliced green onions, or chopped fresh cilantro. You can also enjoy it just as it is – believe me, it’s delicious!
Chef’s Tips
- Leaner packs of ground beef (90/10, 95/5, 97/3) can dry out faster during cooking because of the lack of fat. On the flip side, 70/30 or 75/25 blends won’t dry out as quickly but they can make your casserole filling really greasy. I recommend using an 80/20 or 85/15 for the best results.
- You can turn this into a one-dish meal by using a dutch oven, a cast-iron skillet, or any similar oven-safe, stove-safe casserole dish. Just make sure to drain the liquid from the ground beef really well since you won’t be transferring the filling into another dish.
- Ground turkey will also work in place of one or both pounds of ground beef, so if turkey fits in your budget better this week, go for it! Be careful not to overcook the turkey on the stovetop – it generally cooks faster than ground beef does.
More of Our Favorite Casserole Recipes
- Ultimate Chicken Casserole
- Garlic Bread Casserole
- Mom’s Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Walking Taco Casserole
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
- Creamy Veg-All Casserole with a Buttery Cracker Topping
- Baked Ziti Pasta
- Creamy Marry Me Chicken Casserole
- Keto Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- Southern Pineapple Casserole
- Spaghetti Alfredo
- Easy, Cheesy Mexican Rice Casserole
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
A satisfying, comforting casserole with Tex-Mex flavors and a rich, cheesy cornbread topping.
- oven
- 9×13 baking dish
- neutral-flavored cooking spray
- stovetop
- Large skillet
- spatula
- large mixing bowl
- silicone spatula
For the Casserole Filling
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20, 85/15, or 90/10 preferred)
- 1 cup chopped white onion (approximately [adjustable]1[/adjustable] small onion, optional)
- 1 ounce taco seasoning ([adjustable]1[/adjustable] packet or [adjustable]3[/adjustable] tablespoons)
- 1 cup water
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans (or kidney beans, or black beans; drained, rinsed)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For the Cornbread Topping
- 1 8.5-ounce package sweet cornbread mix
- 1 cup creamed corn
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray bottom and sides of 9×13 baking dish with neutral-flavored cooking spray. Set aside.
Place large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add [wprm-ingredient text=”2 pounds ground beef” uid=”0″] to skillet and cook beef, stirring frequently, until beef is browned and crumbled, approximately 10 minutes.
Once ground beef is browned and broken into small pieces, carefully drain all liquid from skillet. Return skillet to heat.
Add [wprm-ingredient text=”1 cup chopped white onion” uid=”2″] (optional), [wprm-ingredient text=”1 ounce taco seasoning” uid=”3″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 cup water” uid=”4″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 10-ounce can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies” uid=”5″], and [wprm-ingredient text=”1 15-ounce can pinto beans” uid=”6″] to skillet. Stir to incorporate.
Once ingredients are fully incorporated, transfer mixture to prepared 9×13 baking dish. Spread mixture into single, even layer, filling baking dish completely.
Sprinkle [wprm-ingredient text=”1 cup shredded cheddar cheese” uid=”7″] evenly over top of ground beef filling. Set baking dish aside.
Add [wprm-ingredient text=”1 8.5-ounce package sweet cornbread mix” uid=”9″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 cup creamed corn” uid=”10″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 large egg” uid=”11″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 cup shredded cheddar cheese” uid=”12″], [wprm-ingredient text=”½ cup milk” uid=”13″], and [wprm-ingredient text=”¼ teaspoon salt” uid=”14″] to large mixing bowl. Stir ingredients together until fully combined into thick batter.
Transfer cornbread batter to baking dish, spreading batter out evenly across dish and covering ground beef and cheddar layers completely.
Place baking dish in preheated oven. Bake casserole approximately 35 minutes or until cornbread topping is golden brown and completely baked through.
Once cornbread is fully baked, carefully remove baking dish from oven. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve casserole as desired.
- Leftovers: Let any leftover casserole cool completely, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven until warmed through.
