Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
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Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is an easy and filling one-pan dinner you can have ready in less than an hour. Made with pantry staples, this budget and family friendly recipe is the perfect weeknight comfort meal.
This Cowboy Cornbread Casserole combines classic Cowboy Caviar with cozy cornbread in one delicious dish. My Cowboy Casserole recipe is easy, hearty, and ready in under an hour. The perfect comfort food for busy weeknights.
I absolutely love easy casserole recipes, and this one-pan, oven-ready cornbread taco bake is one of those budget-friendly, time-saving dinners that goes from pantry to table with minimal prep and is great to whip up when you need a filling meal without extra dishes.
Why Try This Cowboy Casserole Recipe
- Delicious – This hearty recipe is flavorful and delicious.
- Easy – This one-pan, oven-ready dinner is ready to enjoy in just under an hour
- Budget Friendly – This easy casserole dinner uses simple pantry staples like cornbread mix, canned corn, and beans for a budget-friendly pantry meal.
- Customizable – Simple ingredient swaps can be made to accommodate your personal tastes.
- Make Ahead Friendly – You can easily make this ahead of time and freeze for later.
Cowboy Casserole Ingredients
See recipe card for ingredient amounts and specifics.
- Ground beef
- Jiffy Cornbread Mix – plus that ingredients needed per package instructions
- Bacon – cooked and crumbled, plus extra for the top of the cooked casserole
- Onion – chopped
- Bell pepper – chopped
- BBQ sauce
- Worcestershire sauce – use an anchovy-free Worcestershire if you are allergic or avoid fish
- Ranch-style beans – These are black or pinto beans simmered in a chili sauce before being canned for sale. If you can’t find these specifically, you can sub prepared chili beans
- Cheddar cheese – fresh shredded or packaged cheese works
- Jalapeño – seeded and sliced
- Spices & seasonings – see recipe card
Equipment Needed To Make
- Large skillet – if you use a cast iron skillet, you don’t need the casserole dish
- Casserole Dish
How to Make Cowboy Cornbread
This is a simplified Step by Step Instructions overview – Full recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Prepare a casserole dish and add the peppers and onion to a skillet.
Step 2 – Add the beef to the skillet..
Step 3 – Once beef is browned, drain.
Step 4 – Add remaining ingredients to the skillet, except for the cornbread and jalapeños.
Step 5 – Prepare cornbread mix as directed and spread evenly over beef mixture.
Step 6 – Pour the beef mixture into the baking dish.
Step 7 – Pour cornbread batter over the meat mixture.
Step 6 – Top with jalapeños.
Step 9 – Let cool a few minutes before serving.
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Substitutions & Alterations
- Swap beef for ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based crumbles.
- You can use pinto or kidney beans or black beans.
- Use a fish free Worcestershire sauce if you are allergic.
- Use mild or spicy Rotel depending on your personal preference and family’s tastes.
- Some people really dislike cilantro. If you are unsure of your audience, you can use chopped parsley or sliced scallions for a garnish, or put it on the side.
Raquel’s Time Saving Tips
- Use Pre-Cooked or Frozen Ground Beef – Brown a large batch of ground beef on the weekend and freeze in 1-lb portions. Just thaw and add seasoning when you’re ready to make the casserole.
- Use a cast iron skillet to go straight from stove top to oven and dirty fewer dishes!
- Pre-shredded cheese works great here and melts beautifully, saving you a few minutes of grating time.
- Let it sit 5–10 minutes before slicing so it holds its shape.
How to Serve This Cornbread Casserole
- Top with sour cream, green onions, or salsa.
- Serve with a bowl of Chicken Pozole and/or a green salad.
- You can also put a slice in a bowl and smother it with my Slow Cooker Chili.
Homemade Salsa Recipes to Try With Cowboy Cornbread
How to Store Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
You can also freeze sliced portions or the whole baked casserole for up to 3 months. Make sure it’s completely cool before wrapping, and thaw completely before reheating.
How to Reheat Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
You can reheat leftover casserole in the microwave or in a preheated oven.
In the Microwave – Reheat on high for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
In the Oven – Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the casserole in an oven safe dish like a pie plate or small baking dish. Heat for 10-15 minutes until heated all the way through. Times will vary depending on your oven.
More Hearty Casserole Recipes
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Chili Relleno Casserole with Ground Beef
- Chicken Egg Noodle Casserole
- Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Equipment
- lage bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 8.5 oz boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix (plus ingredients listed on the box)
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 15 oz can ranch-style beans
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 medium jalapeño sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned, 7–10 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the crumbled bacon, BBQ sauce, and beans. Stir to combine, then spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- In a large bowl, prepare the cornbread batter according to the package directions. Pour it evenly over the beef mixture — do not mix!
- Top with sliced jalapeños.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with extra bacon and chopped cilantro before serving.
Nutrition
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