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    Home » Beef

    Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

    Published: Sep 17, 2022 by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is a hearty main dish recipe packed with sweet and spicy flavors. This beef recipe is packed with protein and fiber, all you need to add is a green salad for a complete meal.
    Featured image for Cowboy Cornbread Casserole.
    One serving of Cowboy Cornbread Casserole on a plate.

    Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is an easy ground beef casserole recipe that is quick and easy and great to have on hand when feeding a crowd. This layered dish has a sweet and spicy meat layer covered with a cheesy cornbread layer that makes a hearty meal the whole family will love.

    One serving of Cowboy Cornbread Casserole on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love it
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🥄 Equipment
    • 🥫Storage
    • 📖 Variations
    • 💭 Tips
    • 📚 Related Recipes
    • 🍽 Serve with...
    • 📖 Recipe

    ❤️ Why you'll love it

    • It's made with simple ingredients that even the picky eater in the family will be willing to eat
    • This easy dish makes a hearty main dish that is under 500 calories per serving and will feed 8 to 10 hungry people
    • It's a cowboy dinner that is an upscaled version of shepherd's pie
    • This casserole is a great way to do meal prep and make freezer meals for quick weeknight dinners.
    Ingredients for cowboy cornbread casserole.
    This hearty beef casserole is packed with protein, fiber, and sweet and spicy flavor!
    Ground beef, peppers, and onions in a skillet.
    The ground beef, bell pepper, jalapeno, and onion are cooked together until browned.
    Browned beef mixture in a skillet.
    Once browned, stir in the dry spices.
    Ground beef mixture with corn and black beans on top in the skillet.
    Once the spices are added, stir in the corn and black beans.

    🥘 Ingredients

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Lean ground beef: I like to use 90/10 for this recipe to keep the fat counts lower

    Onion: an aromatic that adds flavor

    Red bell pepper: adds color and sweetness to the dish

    Jalapeno: adds a spicy heat to the dish, adjust to your own tolerance (or leave it out if you wish)

    Garlic: I like to use fresh garlic cloves, but jarred minced garlic works here also

    Salt: added to taste to enhance flavors

    Barbecue sauce: my families all time favorite is Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce and that is what I used in this recipe

    Canned black beans: or use what you have on hand, pinto beans or red kidney beans are a good choice

    Canned corn: or use 1-½ cups thawed frozen corn

    Gochujang paste: I highly recommend using this! You don't have to but this fermented Korean chili paste adds a ton of flavor to the dish.

    Jiffy corn muffin mix: there are several types of this cornbread mix out there, I used the honey cornbread mix

    Large eggs

    Milk: use whatever you have on hand. I had whole milk and that is what I used.

    Shredded cheddar cheese: buy the brick cheese and shred it yourself, it is so much better!

    Cornbread mixture ingredients.
    I used Jiffy Honey Cornbread mix for a sweeter flavor to the topping and added shredded cheddar cheese for a savory addition.
    Cornbread mixture on top of beef mixture in casserole dish.
    The cornbread mixture will be spread out over top of the beef mixture with the back of a spoon.
    Baked cowboy cornbread casserole.
    Once baked, allow the casserole to sit for 15 minutes to settle and cool.
    A look inside of the casserole dish with casserole taken out.

    🔪 Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
    2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, peppers, and garlic for 7 minutes, until beef has browned and vegetables are softened.
    3. Pour meat mixture to the bottom of the prepared baking dish and evenly spread it out to cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
    4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, egg, and milk until combined. Stir in the shredded cheese.
    5. Pour the cornbread mixture over top of the meat mixture and using the back of a large spoon, spread the cornbread mixture over the meat layer.
    6. Bake casserole for 50 minutes, or until cornbread topping is baked through and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread topping comes out clean.

    🥄 Equipment

    Casserole dish

    Large skillet

    Wooden spoon

    🥫Storage

    Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.

    To reheat from frozen state, place casserole in the microwave and heat at 50% power for 7 minutes. Remove, stir, and return to the microwave on high for 3 minutes, or until casserole is hot.

    📖 Variations

    • Substitute a can of Rotel tomatoes with a tablespoon of taco seasoning for the bbq sauce
    • Use frozen mixed veggies in place of the corn.
    • Substitute lean ground turkey or venison in place of the beef.

    💭 Tips

    • To rinse the beans, pour the can of beans icolanderlendar and rinse them off with cold water. This removes any of the mucky starch that has settled on the beans.
    One serving of Cowboy Cornbread Casserole on a plate.

    📚 Related Recipes

    Everyone loves this Big Mac Casserole

    This Easy Ham and Noodle Casserole is perfect with leftover ham, but you can also use chicken or turkey

    I love this fresh and comforting Green Bean Soup

    🍽 Serve with...

    Serve this Cowboy Cornbread casserole with a green salad, roasted broccoli or asparagus.


    Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

    When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @honeybunchhunts or #honeybunchhunts so I can see your photos!

    If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

    📖 Recipe

    Featured image for Cowboy Cornbread Casserole.

    Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

    Shelby Law Ruttan
    Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is a hearty main dish recipe packed with sweet and spicy flavors. This beef recipe is packed with protein and fiber, all you need to add is a green salad for a complete meal.
    4.72 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Go to Collections
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 421 kcal

    Equipment

    • 9 x 13 Casserole dish
    • Large skillet
    • Wooden spoon

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Ingredients
      

    • 1¼ pound lean ground beef
    • ½ cup diced onion
    • ½ cup diced red pepper
    • 1 medium jalapeno , diced
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup barbecue sauce
    • 15 ounces canned black beans , drained and rinsed
    • 15 ounces canned corn , drained
    • 2 teaspoons gochujang paste
    • 8.5 ounces jiffy cornbread mix
    • 1 large egg
    • ⅓ cup milk
    • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, peppers, and garlic for 7 minutes, until beef has browned and vegetables are softened.
    • Pour meat mixture to the bottom of the prepared baking dish and evenly spread it out to cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornbread mix, egg, and milk until combined. Stir in the shredded cheese.
    • Pour the cornbread mixture over top of the meat mixture and using the back of a large spoon, spread the cornbread mixture over the meat layer.
    • Bake casserole for 50 minutes, or until cornbread topping is baked through and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread topping comes out clean.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 24gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 974mgPotassium: 601mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 505IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 4mgNet Carbohydrates: 41g
    Keyword Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
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    About Shelby Law Ruttan

    Honeybunch Hunts is a website dedicated to sharing canning and dehydrating recipes, wild game recipes, fish, seafood, plant based recipes, and some DIY scattered in between. Written by Shelby Law Ruttan, is also author and owner of Grumpy’s Honeybunch, and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. Shelby has also authored two cookbooks, The One Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook.

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