Sharing is caring!

Here’s a hearty and family-friendly 9×13 casserole that makes the perfect meal for crazy weeknights. Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is a quick and easy to assemble ground beef main dish that’s pure comfort food.

Cowboy Cornbread Casserole Recipe

Can we EVER have enough delicious casserole recipes? I think not.

You know the kind that I mean, I’m sure. The solid casserole recipes that are made with some sort of meat in a 9×13 pan, baked hot and fresh in the oven when you need to slam dinner onto the table and get the crew FED.

Big Mac Casserole (yes it has special sauce!) comes immediately to mind, as does another quick favorite, Bubble Up Taco Casserole, probably because they are both made with ground beef.

Or if you’re on the lookout for a couple of tasty CHICKEN casseroles, do give Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole with Bacon a shot, along with Rotisserie Chicken and Potato Casserole.

WHAT TO LOVE

1. Who doesn’t need a deliciously easy 9×13 main dish casserole for a busy family…that’s also super economical?
2. You can use any type of ground meat in place of the ground beef, such as venison, bison, sausage, turkey etc. Use what’s on hand in your freezer.
3. I love how you can assemble this casserole ahead of time and bake it fresh when dinnertime rolls around.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

• Ground beef
• Yellow or white onion
• Red bell pepper
• Spices: smoked paprika, granulated garlic, kosher salt, black pepper
• Cream of chicken soup
• Diced tomatoes and green chilies
• Sour cream
• Jiffy corn muffin mix
• Creamed corn
• Eggs
• Milk

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING COWBOY CORNBREAD CASSEROLE

**PRINT THE FULL RECIPE FROM THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.; grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet (I use a 12-inch Lodge cast iron skillet with 3-inch sides) over medium high heat, add a quick swish of olive oil; when the oil is nicely hot, add the diced onions and bell peppers to the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the skillet, along with the granulated garlic, paprika, salt and pepper; crumble the ground beef, cooking until fully cooked throughout and no pink remains, then drain any fats that accumulate.

Stir in the cream of chicken soup, drained diced tomatoes, sour cream and 1 cup of the shredded cheese, gently combining until all ingredients are incorporated; reserve.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add both boxes corn muffin mix, cream-style corn, milk and eggs; stir until just combined. Spread the cornbread batter evenly into the prepared 9 x 13 pan.

Carefully spoon the ground beef mixture on top of the cornbread batter, but don’t mix it in; sprinkle the remaining cup of shredded cheese evenly over the top of the meat mixture.

Bake, uncovered, on the center oven rack, for 30-35 minutes and a knife inserted into the cornbread (more towards the center of the casserole) comes out clean.

Serve the casserole with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, etc.

RECIPE TIPS AND TRICKS

• Spice up your cornbread casserole by adding some red pepper flakes, diced jalapenos or green chilies, or a bit of chipotle sauce to the meat filling.
• If you prefer your cornbread a bit on the sweeter side (I do!), add a tablespoon or two of sugar to the cornbread batter, then bake as per instructed in the recipe.
• Need a little crunch? Serve this casserole topped with crushed tortilla chips or corn chips.
• Add some beans to the meat filling for added fiber and also as a way to stretch this recipe to feed more people. I like using pinto beans or chili beans, but black beans work great as well.
• I’d never do it at my house since I’d get shot, but you COULD make this a meatless casserole by using more beans and no meat….just sayin’. Not sure why you’d really want to do that, tho. 🙂
• To reduce the fat in this casserole, opt for ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the ground beef. I never do that, but I have substituted ground venison quite often since my guys always harvest a lot of deer each season.
• Add extra variety to this casserole by offering an assortment of toppings to choose from – chopped cilantro, sour cream, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, etc.

MORE FAVORITE CORNBREAD RECIPES TO ENJOY

• DELTA CORNBREAD SALAD – Here’s a beautiful side dish you’ll enjoy taking to your next family reunion or potluck, especially if you’ve made it in a beautiful glass trifle bowl so everyone can see all the layers.  They will be salivating before you can even set it down.
  
• TEX MEX CORNBREAD CASSEROLE – Are there any Mexican food recipes that aren’t flat delicious? I doubt it. This Mexican ground beef recipe is so fast and simple to make – you’ll never believe it. 
  
• CHEDDAR AND GREEN CHILI SAUSAGE CORNBREAD – This side dish is loaded with layers of moist, dense cornbread, melted cheddar, mild green chilies, and cooked crumbled sausage. Serve topped with sour cream and sliced scallions.
  
• TASTY TEX MEX CHICKEN CORNBREAD CASSEROLE – Sporting a cornbread topping (kind of like cornbread stuffing) along with Tex Mex seasoning to give it a kick, this chicken casserole can be baked in a 9 x 13 pan or a large cast iron skillet.

We love hearing from our readers and followers. Leave us a comment if you would kindly do so – we truly appreciate your feedback.

If you don’t hear back from us shortly, know that we may not have seen your comment.  Feel free to reach out to us by email:  ChefAlli@ChefAlli.com.

LET’S GET YOU COOKIN’,
CHEF ALLI

Please Note: We do use referral and affiliate links here for products and services that Chef Alli loves and recommends. We may receive a small compensation when you use these links.  This really helps us keep the recipe blog moving forward.  Thank you so much.