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.
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❤️ 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
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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!
🔪 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.
🥄 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.
📚 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.
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📖 Recipe
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
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.
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