Name: Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 cup salsa; 1 can (3.8 oz, 113 mL) chopped green chilis; 1 can (15 oz, 397 mL) brown beans in tomato sauce; 1 1/2 cups corn kernels; 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/3 cup canola oil; 2 large eggs; 1 1/4 cup milk (I use 2%)

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This cowboy cornbread casserole is so quick and easy to make, and makes the perfect one pot meal. Fast, easy, and delicious! Everyone loves it!

This quick and easy, one pot dinner is absolutely delicious. It looks a little boring and simple, and I didn’t actually expect to love it that much, but it’s somehow better than you would think.

Casseroles have never been my favourite meals, but this one I really did love. It takes very little time to get it together, and it tastes fantastic, so both of those things won me over!

Simply saute some ground beef and onions, stir in some salsa, beans in tomato sauce, and chopped green chilies, and sprinkle some cheddar cheese over top of it all. Add some cornbread batter on top (which is very fast to mix up!) and bake for 45 minutes.

It’s so easy to make, and so delicious. My kids have now dubbed this their favourite meal. Which is saying something since none of them really care for beans all that much.

You should definitely add this to your meal plan. It’s in the regular rotation here now!

What do you serve with cornbread casserole?

We actually don’t usually have anything with this casserole. It’s a pretty hearty meal and doesn’t really need anything with it.

But if you would like a side dish, a simple salad or some steamed vegetables would go well with it. Or raw veggies and dip would be great. Keep it simple though, no need to spend a bunch of time on side dishes with this meal!

one pot cowboy dinner (beef and bean cornbread casserole)

How do I know when my cornbread casserole is done?

This cowboy casserole is done baking when the cornbread is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cornbread layer comes out clean.

Make sure you test all the way to the bottom of the cornbread layer, so that you’re sure it’s baked all the way through. You don’t want to have a layer of raw cornbread batter on top of the beef and bean layer!

How to make Cowboy Cornbread Casserole:

I make this all in one large, oven safe skillet (mine is about 14″), but if you don’t have one, you can make the beef and bean filling on the stove and then transfer it to a 9×13″ baking dish instead.
The chopped green chilies are optional, I’ve made it with and without. They add a bit of heat, but not very much. Feel free to omit them if you prefer.
I use a can of Heinz brown beans in tomato sauce for this recipe. In the USA they are called “baked beans”. These are the same as the ones I’m using if you aren’t in Canada.

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Yield: serves 8

Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

This cowboy cornbread casserole is so quick and easy to make, and makes the perfect one pot meal. Fast, easy, and delicious! Everyone loves it!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the casserole:

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup salsa
1 can (3.8 oz, 113 mL) chopped green chilis
1 can (15 oz, 397 mL) brown beans in tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

For the cornbread topping:

1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk (I use 2%)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large, oven safe skillet, over medium heat, sauté the ground beef and the onions until the beef is no longer pink, and the onions are softened.
Drain the grease from the skillet.
Stir in the salt, pepper, salsa, green chilies, brown beans, and corn, until well combined.
Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over top of the beef mixture and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and milk.
Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour the wet ingredients into it.
Stir until just combined.
Spread the cornbread batter over top of the beef and bean mixture.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the centre of it comes out clean.
Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave.

Notes

Brown beans in tomato sauce are the Canadian version, in the USA they are called “baked beans”. I use Heinz.

I make this entire casserole in a large, 14” oven safe skillet. If you don’t have a large enough skillet, you can transfer the beef mixture to a 9x13” baking dish instead.

Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/8 recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 734Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 1273mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 4gSugar: 17gProtein: 45g

Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.

Roberta

Thursday 21st of March 2024

Hi Stacey! This recipe was SO easy to make, and was absolutely DELICIOUS! I've never baked cornbread, and loved the little bit of sweetness it offered. I didn't change a thing, and followed your recipe just the way you offered it. We had friends over for dinner tonight, and although I NEVER use a recipe that I haven't tasted first, I decided I'd go ahead, simply because I mentioned how good it looked to my three sisters. They made it up within a few days of my sharing it with them, and their families all loved the dish, so I knew I didn't need to try it first myself! (I was waiting to prepare it for our weekly dinner/games night with friends, rather than making it just for the two of us!) Our friends went home with a copy of your Cowboy Cornbread Casserole recipe, and my sisters each have a copy, as well as one of their daughters (....and I'm sure it will be passed on to the rest of them as well, because they are all raving about it. We are all looking forward to sharing more of your recipes!