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Taco Cornbread Casserole

Made with simple ingredients like canned vegetables, cornbread mix, and ground beef or turkey. The casserole base is saucy, flavorful, and topped with fluffy cornbread! It's a quick dinner the whole family will love - and it makes a great freezer meal!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Main Dish
Servings 9 servings
Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb ground beef or ground turkey
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 a bell pepper, diced
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes I like using fire-roasted
  • 1/2 can black beans
  • 1/2 can corn
  • 3/4 cup mexican cheese blend
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • pinch pepper
  • 1 box cornbread mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk

Instructions

  • Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stir seasonings together in a small bowl.
  • Make the Casserole: Cook ground beef or turkey in skillet, breaking it up as you go, until fully browned. Drain grease and set meat aside on a plate.
    Add olive oil to pan (if the pan is still a bit greasy from the beef go light on the olive oil or omit) and heat over medium heat. Add bell pepper, and onion, and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until onion is transluscent and softened. Add the garlic and cook 2 mins more. Add the beef back to the pan and add half the seasonings along with the canned tomatoes (don't drain them! we want the liquid to make a saucy casserole filling here). Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Stir in the corn and beans, and simmer 2 minutes more. Add the remaining seasoning and the cheese, and stir to mix everything together. Taste and add more seasoning if desired.
  • Bake: Spray an Ello 8x8 DuraGlass baking dish with nonstick spray and evenly spread the casserole mixture in the pan. Whisk up the cornbread mix, egg, and milk in a bowl and pour over the top of the casserole.
    Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cornbread appears done (it will be lightly golden around the edges).
  • Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Top with extra veggies and sour cream, if desired. Store leftovers in the baking dish with the lid on, in the fridge for 4-5 days.
  • Freezer Meal: This recipe makes a great freezer meal! You can double the recipe, and freeze half (without the cornbread topping) in an 8x8 pan for later, while cooking the rest in another 8x8 pan for now. You could also make a double batch and freeze the whole thing in a 9x13 pan for later.
    When ready to cook, let thaw in the fridge overnight, top with the cornbread topping, and bake as directed above! The Ello DuraGlass bakeware is completely freezer and oven safe!