Cowboy Cornbread Casserole: 5 Easy Steps for a Hearty Meal
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is an easy, hearty one-pan meal featuring seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, and tomatoes topped with cheesy, golden cornbread. Perfect for busy weeknights, it’s comforting, customizable, and made with simple, budget-friendly pantry ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Main dishes
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) corn kernels, drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or homemade mix)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 box (8.5 oz) cornbread mix
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- In a bowl, mix cornbread mix, egg, and milk; set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned (5-7 minutes); drain excess grease.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes.
- Stir in black beans, corn, diced tomatoes (with juice), and taco seasoning; simmer 5 minutes.
- Spread beef mixture evenly in prepared dish.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over the beef mixture.
- Top with cornbread batter, spreading evenly.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and set (a toothpick inserted comes out clean).
- Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Drain canned veggies to prevent a soggy casserole. For extra moisture and flavor, mix sour cream or buttermilk into the cornbread batter. Use an 80/20 ground beef blend or add fat if using lean meat. Customize with your preferred veggies or spices as desired.
Keywords: Cowboy, Cornbread, Casserole, Ground beef, Comfort food, Easy recipe