This Easy Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is a comforting and hearty dish that combines the rich flavors of a ground beef and ranch-style beans mixture with a classic cheesy cornbread topping. This cowboy casserole recipe is a hearty meal and is perfect for busy weeknights or a weekend dinner with friends.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
👩🏻🍳 Recipe Name: Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
⏱️ Ready In: 45 minutes
🧑🧑🧒 Serves: 8
🍴Calories: ~529 (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Beef, beans, conrbread, spices
🎯 Difficulty: Very Easy
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It's casserole season! I love serving these easy one-pan dishes when the weather turns cooler. From Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas, to Creamy Seafood Tetrazzini, to my fan favorite Marry Me Chicken Pasta, to this Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole, to a good old-fashioned Lazy Lasagna, casserole recipes are the way to go during the winter months, IMO. They're simple to make, you can typically make them ahead of time if needed, and they're usually pretty easy to freeze for later.
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is one of my favorite recipes and feels like the ultimate fall dish. (There's a reason it has 75 5-star ratings!!) A chili-like beef and bean mixture is topped with a moist on the inside, crispy, golden brown on the outside cornbread. It's a delicious meal that my whole family adores and asks for on repeat. (Looking for another chili recipe you'll love? This Cream Cheese Crack Chicken Chili is creamy and delicious!)
In This Post
Why This Recipe Works
This CowboyCornbread Casserole is a favorite for several reasons.
- Simple ingredients. The recipe list for this delicious dish is pretty straightforward. In fact, you should be able to readily find everything you need for this cornbread casserole from your local grocery store, if you don't already have it at home.
- Make ahead. This is a great make-ahead meal. You can prepare the whole thing, then just reheat it in the oven or microwave when you're ready to serve it.
- Easy recipe. I used a small round Dutch oven to make this dish, making it (almost!) a one-pot meal. Just prepare the beef mixture in the pot, top with your cornbread batter, then transfer it to the oven! (It's almost as easy as my Lipton Onion Soup Mix Meatloaf Recipe!)
- Freezer-friendly. This is one of many freezer meals that I add to the freezer at the beginning of fall. It freezes beautifully and is so nice to be able to just pull it out and pop it into the oven for an easy meal.
- Delicious. Did I mention this is a damn good casserole? This hearty cowboy cornbread casserole is the ultimate comfort food and is perfect for an easy dinner or barbecue. (Better yet - eat it around a campfire for some real cowboy flair!)
Key Ingredients
As I said earlier, the ingredients for this cornbread casserole are fairly simple:
- Ground beef. I used lean beef here - 90/10 - since I didn't want too much fat lurking in the beef mixture.
- Peppers, garlic, and onions. Choose whatever color peppers you have on hand - I used red. For the onion, I wanted a bit of a mellow taste, so I went with a yellow onion, which tends to be a bit sweeter than white or red.
- Pinto beans. Feel free to sub out other types of beans here. Black beans would also work well.
- Corn. Fresh sweet corn, frozen, or canned works. I just used a can.
- Rotel tomatoes.
- Taco seasoning. This gives the dish a feeling of a Mexican cornbread casserole and adds tons of flavor and spice.
- Shredded cheese.To add to the cornbread mixture. I used cheddar, but try pepperjack cheese for an added kick to the cornbread topping!
- Cornbread mixture. I made my own (see the instructions in the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and instructions). BUT, you could save time and make it easy by just using something like a Jiffy cornbread mix from the grocery store.
- Toppings! You can eat it as is, and it's delicious, but any toppings you might add to tacos or chili would also work here. Think sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, avocado, cilantro - you get the idea!
Variations or Substitutions
There are lots of ways you could customize this dish to make it unique:
- Swap the protein. For a leaner option, swap ground beef with ground turkey, or omit it altogether for a vegetarian casserole dish..
- Use a chili as the base. This Ground Pork Chili would be an amazing variation topped with cornbread.
- Adjust the spice. Raise or lower the spiciness of this cornbread casserole by modifying the amount of taco seasoning or by adding chili powder for extra heat. You could also add chopped jalapeno to the cornbread mixture for a spicier cornbread topping.
- Change out the beans. Experiment with different types of beans, like black beans or kidney beans, for a change in flavor and texture. You could even try using chili beans or seasoned baked beans for some added spice!
- Used a boxed cornbread mix. To save time, use a box of cornbread mix, such as Jiffy corn muffin mix, for the topping instead of making it from scratch.
- Add more veggies! Enhance the dish with additional veggies, such as green chilies or bell peppers, to add more color and flavor.
How To Make Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Making the dish is pretty easy. Here are the step-by-step instructions for how I made this cowboy cornbread casserole recipe in a Dutch oven.
Step 1: Brown the beef and saute the peppers and onions. In your Dutch oven or a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the diced onions, red bell pepper, and ground beef. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the beef is browned, the onions are translucent, and the peppers have softened. Drain any excess fat.
Step 2: Add the rest of the beef mixture ingredients. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, then remove from the heat. Mix in the Rotel tomatoes, pinto beans, corn, and taco seasoning and spread evenly across the Dutch oven. If not using a Dutch oven, you can transfer the meat mixture to a prepared baking dish.
Step 3: Make the cornbread topping. While the ground beef mixture is cooking, prepare the cornbread batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the cornbread. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Create a well in the dry ingredients and pour the milk mixture into it. Mix until just combined, avoiding over-mixing, and gently fold in the cheddar cheese.
Step 4: Assemble the casserole. Carefully spoon the cheesy cornbread batter over the top of the meat mixture, ensuring it covers the entire surface.
Step 5: Bake! Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean.
Cornbread Cowboy Casserole FAQs
Absolutely, you can assemble the casserole in advance, cover it with foil, and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it. It's a convenient option for meal planning.
Your favorite toppings for chili or tacos can also be used on this dish! You can serve this easy ground beef casserole with, pico de gallo, green onions, olives, avocado, guacamole, jalapeños, cilantro, or a dollop of sour cream served on top. Try a drizzle of barbecue sauce for extra flavor.
Leftover Cowboy Cornbread Casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yep! Place the cooled casserole in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 375, covered, when you're ready to enjoy it again.
More Easy Casserole Dishes
This easy cowboy dinner is the perfect meal for your busy weeknights! If you try my Cowboy Cornbread Casserole, let me know what you think in the comments below. And don't forget to tag me with a pic @frontrangefed on Instagram - I love to see your creations!
Recipe
Easy Cornbread Cowboy Casserole With Beef And Beans
Ingredients
For the meat filling
- 1 ⅓ lb lean ground beef
- 15.25 oz canned corn
- 15.5 oz canned pinto beans
- 10 oz can Rotel
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 1 oz taco seasoning
For the cornbread topping
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Optional toppings
- cilantro
- sour cream
- salsa
- avocado
- green onions
- jalapeno peppers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375. If using a dutch oven, proceed to step 2. If using a baking dish prepare prepare the dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, red pepper and ground beef and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the beef is browned and cooked through, the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft. Drain well.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then remove from heat. Stir in the Rotel, beans, corn, and taco seasoning, and spread evenly into whatever dish you're baking the casserole in.
- While the beef is cooking, mix up the cornbread batter. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until fully combined. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs and butter. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour the milk mixture into the center. Whisk well to combine (don't over-mix!), and gently fold in the cheese.
- Carefully spoon the cornbread batter over the top of the beef base, spreading it to the edge of the skillet so that they are completely covered.
- Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean. The cornbread should be crispy on the top and golden brown in color.
- Garnish the dish with cilantro, and serve with sour cream, salsa, jalapeno slices or hot sauce.
Notes
- Check on the casserole periodically throughout the cooking time. If the cornbread starts to brown too quickly, cover it with foil so that the top doesn't burn.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
- Make it vegetarian by subbing out the beef for extra beans or veggies.
Nancy Luckman Jacobson says
Really want to try this! Looks great! If not using a round dutch oven, what size casserole dish would you use? 9x13 perhaps? thanks!
Sarah Jenkins says
Yes! That would work! The only thing I may caution is to watch the cook time. The cornbread mixture will be a bit thinner (not a bad thing since it's quite thick in the dutch oven), but that just means it may cook a bit faster. Just check on it early to make sure it doesn't burn. Enjoy, and let me know how it turns out!
Jenelle says
This recipe made just as is is phenomenal! I've made it a few times, and this go around i wanted to try making the filling more saucy per my husband's request. I used Rotels tomatoes with Hatch peppers, a texas two corn salsa in place of regular corn and a bit of tomato sauce and more taco seasoning to balance the salsas sweet and the tacos spice. I also doubled the cornbread because we use the jiffy mix to save time. It all added a Salsa sweet to it but its not aggressive once balanced out AND we got that saucy texture he wanted. All in all fantastic recipe and is very flexible to get crafty with !
Sarah Jenkins says
Thank you Jenelle! Great suggestions!
Mark says
You said "Ground beef. I used a lean beef here - 90/20 - since I didn't want too much fat lurking in the beef mixture. "
I'm guessing you meant 90/10?
Cheers!
Sarah Jenkins says
Yes - thank you for that catch!
Mary C says
It’s amazing with some tweaks… instead of corn I used Trader Joe’s cowboy caviar salsa. I used half an orange pepper half a red pepper. I drained the pinto beans. It doesn’t say what to do with the cheese - I grated an entire block of Tillamook pepper jack and spread that on top of the mixture before pouring the cornbread mixture over it. I used Marie Callender’s which is delicious. The cheese layer keeps the cornbread from getting soggy. I baked it for 28 mins and it came out perfectly.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Mary! I typically just mix the cheese right into the cornbread batter so you are on the right track! So glad this worked for you!
Ocean says
Do you bake the casserole covered or uncovered?
Sarah Jenkins says
You should bake it uncovered. It's done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Lynsey says
If I want to make this a "freezer meal" do I bake it first and then freeze or freeze it before baking?
Sarah Jenkins says
Hi Lynsey,
I'd recommend baking it first and then freezing it. Otherwise the cornbread batter may freeze a bit strangely. Just cook it, let it cool, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to make it, allow it to fully thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the oven (covered) at 375 degrees F. for about 25-30 minutes, or until its heated through.
Ash says
This recipe was a hit! My hardworking partner came home from a long day at work and ate three bowls! He is a walking heart case but couldn’t get enough.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Ash!
Kim Rule says
In Texas we have a much easier recipe. Try a large can of ranch style beans with jalapeños, do not drain. This gives the casserole a really good kick, but not too much. the cornbread can be made with cream corn, jalapeños or green chilies, and cheese. You wanna cook all of this in your cast-iron skillet and that way you just have one pan you don’t have to mess anything else up. We use 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread ibecause we love cornbread!!!
Sarah Jenkins says
Sounds good Kim! Will have to give it a try!
Holly M Kiper says
do you drain the beans before adding them? If using frozen corn do i need to add more liquid to the mixture?
Sarah Jenkins says
Hi Holly - yes, drain the beans before, but don't rinse them. No need to add more liquid if using frozen corn.
Taylor Elizabeth McAnerney says
I made this in my Dutch oven. It was very yummy, my suggestions would be to double the meat if doing it in a Dutch oven. The ratio was off, a thick corn bread which was delicious but not enough meat mix underneath. I made your homemade corn bread. I drained the corn and the beans. I'd add a green chilli or something to the meat mixture for a bit more moisture too. But I added sour cream afterwards and it's perfect!