Description
Hearty Mexican cornbread casserole combines spicy ground beef, melted cheese, and sweet cornbread in one comforting dish. Layers of robust flavors and textures promise a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 package (8.5 ounces / 241 grams) cornbread/muffin mix
Corn and Tomato Ingredients:
- 1 can (8 ounces / 227 grams) cream-style corn
- 1 can (10 ounces / 284 grams) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
Seasoning and Binding Ingredients:
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), ensuring the rack is positioned in the center for even cooking.
- Create the cornbread base by mixing the cornbread blend according to package instructions, then incorporate the entire can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and cream-style corn, stirring until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the cornbread mixture into a generously greased 9×13 inch baking dish, spreading evenly and smoothing the surface.
- Bake the cornbread layer for 20 minutes, watching for a light golden color and slightly firm texture.
- While cornbread bakes, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles until no pink remains.
- Drain excess fat from the beef, then stir in taco seasoning and water, simmering for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.
- After removing cornbread from oven, distribute the seasoned beef mixture uniformly across the golden surface.
- Carefully spread a smooth layer of sour cream over the beef, ensuring complete coverage.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese across the sour cream layer, then garnish with chopped green onions.
- Return the casserole to the oven, baking for an additional 15-20 minutes until cheese melts completely and edges become bubbly.
- Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes after removing from oven, then slice and serve while warm.
Notes
- Customize Cornbread Mix experiment with different cornbread mix flavors like jalapeño or honey to add unique twists to the base recipe.
- Control Spice Levels adjust taco seasoning and choose mild or hot versions depending on your heat tolerance for a personalized flavor profile.
- Protein Alternatives swap ground beef with ground turkey, shredded chicken, or plant-based crumbles to accommodate dietary preferences and create variety.
- Make-Ahead Friendly prepare the cornbread and beef mixture separately in advance, then assemble and bake when ready to serve for convenient meal planning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 740 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg