Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
With tender ground beef and veggies and a fluffy cornbread topping, this Cornbread Cowboy Casserole is the perfect dish for your next potluck or dinner tonight. Your whole family will love it!
Cornbread Cowboy Casserole Recipe
This delicious and easy meal is a cross between a Jiffy cornbread casserole recipe and a Mexican cornbread casserole recipe.
A budget friendly recipe using simple ingredients and is so quick to put together.
Imagine a busy weeknight when you need a hearty dinner to feed your family or a crowd of teenage boys like I do. This is an easy dinner that everyone will love. Serve it with these Stuffed Banana Peppers as an appetizer!
This is also a great make-ahead meal that you can pop in the oven when you are ready. The cooked casserole or cowboy dinner will also freeze well for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients Needed
- Bacon – You will need cooked and chopped bacon.
- Ground beef – I prefer lean ground beef for this recipe, but you can use hamburger meat or ground sirloin.
- Onion – I use yellow onion, but white onion would work too.
- Baked beans – Use your favorite brand of baked beans or you can substitute pinto beans, black beans or undrained Ranch Style Beans.
- Corn – This recipe calls for frozen corn, but you could also use canned whole kernel corn.
- BBQ sauce – Choose your favorite brand of barbecue sauce.
- Cornbread mix – I use 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix, but you can use your favorite brand or homemade cornbread recipe.
- Cheddar cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese is best. Grate your own for best results. Substitute jack cheese or a Mexican blend if desired.
- Kitchen staples – Salt, black pepper, light brown sugar, yellow mustard, cumin, garlic powder, large eggs, milk.
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How to Make Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until the onion is soft and the ground beef is no longer pink.
- To the cooked ground beef, add the beans, corn, bbq sauce, mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Stir to combine and top with shredded cheese and bacon.
- In a medium or large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add in the corn bread mix and stir until incorporated.
- Pour the cornbread mixture over the top of the meat and veggies. Spread into an even single layer.
- Bake in the preheated 400 degrees F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown on top. Let the casserole rest 3-5 minutes before serving.
For the full recipe and detailed cooking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
How long does it last?
Save your leftover casserole! Let it cool to room temperature and then place in an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can I make it ahead of time?
You can make most of the cornbread cowboy casserole ahead of time by preparing the meat mixture and keeping it in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Sprinkle with the cheese and prepare the cornbread batter right before when you plan to bake it.
Can I make it in the crock pot?
Yes you can! After cooking the beef and onion, layer the rest of the filling ingredients except for the cheese and cornbread mix.
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Mix cornbread ingredients together and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the ground beef mixture.
Top with cornbread batter, cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes or until cornbread is cooked through.
Craving More Casseroles?
If you love casseroles like me, check out my cowboy tater tot casserole! Hearty and topped with crispy tots.
If you are more of a purist, check out my Jiffy corn bread casserole, my green chile corn casserole, this cream cheese corn casserole, and the loaded version of corn casserole too!
Tips for the Best Casserole
- Garnish your casserole with chopped parsley, green onions, sour cream, or cilantro. Add more cheddar cheese on top after it comes out of the oven.
- Instead of individual spices, try taco seasoning instead.
- Adding a can Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, or tomato sauce instead of the barbecue sauce can up the flavor.
- Add more heat with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a dash of chili powder.
- If you prefer to use a casserole dish you can transfer the mixture from the skillet before adding the shredded cheese. Spray the bottom of the pan with nonstick spray before adding mixture.
- This makes a great freezer meal! Freeze your cooked casserole in a freezer safe dish for up to 3 months.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, pin this to your favorite casserole Pinterest board and share it on your favorite social media channels!
This Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is the Old West’s version of shepherd’s pie. It is an easy recipe that will bring rave reviews, and it is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 16 ounces baked beans not drained
- 1 cups frozen corn
- ½ cup bbq sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 2 8.5 ounce boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a large (oven safe) skillet cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the onion is soft and the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
- Add the baked beans, corn, bbq sauce, mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Stir to combine. Top with shredded cheese and bacon.
- In a medium bowl, combine the milk and eggs. Whisk to beat the eggs and mix with milk.
- Add in the cornbread mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Pour the cornbread mixture over the top of the meat mixture and spread into an even layer.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cornbread is done. (Check with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean)
- Let the casserole rest 3-5 minutes before slicing so the juices don’t run out.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Garnish your casserole with chopped parsley, green onions or cilantro. Add more cheddar cheese on top after it comes out of the oven.
- A dollop of sour cream would add a creamy element and pico de gallo would add a kick of freshness.
- Play with the ingredients in this casserole. For example, substitute half of the onion with green bell pepper, red pepper or green chilies.
- Instead of the seasonings in this recipe you could add the same amount of taco seasoning which would give it more of a Mexican flavor.
- Adding a can Rotel tomatoes, tomato paste, or tomato sauce instead of the barbecue sauce can up the flavor.
- Add more spice with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a dash of chili powder.
- If you prefer to use a casserole dish you can transfer the mixture from the skillet before adding the shredded cheese. Spray the bottom of the pan with nonstick spray before adding mixture.
- This makes a great freezer meal! Freeze your cooked casserole in a freezer safe dish for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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What about the 8 slices of bacon!?
Sorry you add them with the cheese under the cornbread. I have fixed it in the recipe card. Thanks for letting me know and I hope you like it!