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Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is a flavorful, comforting meal that’s so easy to make. Seasoned ground beef, corn, pinto beans, and Rotel tomatoes are layered with shredded cheddar cheese and a cornbread topping for a winning dinner!

My family loves a good hearty casserole, and I love making them because they are so easy to throw together. If you’re looking for other recipes to try, you’re sure to love this crowd-pleasing John Wayne Casserole, this family-favorite Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole, and this delicious Philly Cheesesteak Casserole.

Overhead shot of cowboy cornbread casserole with a garnish jalapeรฑos on top and a spoon scooping some out.

Reasons Youโ€™ll Love This Recipe

  • Family-Friendly: If you’re looking for a comforting meal that you know your family will be excited to eat, this cornbread casserole is it!
  • So tasty: The combination of bold spices with Mexican-style ingredients, plenty of cheese, and the sweet, moist cornbread topping will be an absolute party in your mouth!
  • Easy: Only about 15 minutes of prep time is needed, and with cooking time included, you’ll have this on the dinner table in less than an hour.

Cowboy Cornbread Casserole Recipe

This casserole has become a family favorite because itโ€™s loaded with all the traditional Tex-Mex flavors and that wonderful texture everyone loves. It’s definitely hearty enough to serve on its own, but it’s also great served with sides like Mexican rice, a fresh, crisp salad, or refried beans. And don’t forget the toppings! We love to top it with sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado orย guacamole, and fresh cilantro.

Ingredients in Cornbread Casserole

This cowboy cornbread casserole recipe is super filling and makes six servings, which is probably enough to feed your whole family! See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Beef Filling

  • Beef: I like to use lean ground beef or ground turkey for the filling.
  • Onion: Adds flavor and texture.
  • Salt and Pepper: Enhances all of the flavors.
  • Garlic Powder: For a hint of garlic taste.
  • Chili Powder: Adds Mexican flavor without too much heat.
  • Cumin: Adds a touch of earthiness and warmth to the flavor profile.
  • Corn: Gives the meat mixture plenty of texture and a bit of sweetness.
  • Rotel tomatoes: If you’re serving someone who might be sensitive to spice, be sure to grab the can that says “mild.”
  • Chili beans: Add these in undrained for delicious sauciness.
  • Cheese: Provides wonderful cheesiness. Use shredded Colby-Jack cheese or another favorite variety.
Overhead shot of labeled beef filling ingredients.

Cornbread

  • Cornbread: I like to use two boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix, which is really convenient to mix up.
  • Creamed Corn: Adds a creamy richness to the cornbread.
  • Sour Cream: I love adding sour cream to cornbread batter for added moisture.
Overhead shot of labeled cornbread ingredients.

Let’s Make Cornbread Cowboy Casserole!

With just one bite of this easy casserole recipe, youโ€™ll be hooked! In fact, itโ€™s definitely one of those dinners youโ€™ll find yourself craving on repeat. So, hereโ€™s how it all comes together:

Beef Filling

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Brown the Beef: Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add the diced onion and cook until tender. 
  3. Combine: Add the corn, pinto beans, Rotel tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder to the ground beef mixture. Stir to combine.
  4. Layer in Pan with Cheese: Pour the beef mixture into the prepared pan then top with shredded cheese.

Cornbread

  1. Make the Cornbread Batter: Combine the corn muffin mix, creamed corn, and sour cream in a medium bowl and mix until you have a thick batter. 
  2. Add the Cornbread Topping and Bake: Spoon the mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown.

Baking Tip

If the top of the cornbread is getting too dark then cover the casserole with aluminum foil. This allows the cornbread mixture to continue to cook but prevents the top from browning too fast!

Variations

One of the best things about this cowboy cornbread casserole is that you can switch things up to suit your taste. You can easily change out the ingredients to make this something your family will gladly devour!

  • Ground Beef: I prefer lean ground beef, but ground turkey or chicken works well too.
  • Beans: You can use any beans you prefer. Kidney, pinto, or black beans are great options. Be sure to drain and rinse the beans.
  • Seasonings: Swap out the seasonings for a packet of taco seasoning.
  • Corn:  Frozen or fresh corn can be used with great results.
  • Rotel Tomatoes: If you don’t have Rotel, use canned diced tomatoes and a small can of diced green chilies. You can also use one cup of salsa.
  • Add-in Ideas: The filling is so versatile. You can add jalapeรฑos, bell peppers, green onions, olives, or any other add-ins you like.
Side shot of a spoon holding a scoop of cowboy cornbread casserole above the whole dish.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

If you have leftover cowboy cornbread casserole, store it for an easy lunch the next day! This tastes even better the next day!

  • In the Refrigerator: Once your pie has cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • In the Freezer: Baked casseroles freeze well if properly wrapped and stored for up to 3 months. To enjoy them after freezing, let them defrost overnight in the fridge.
  • To Reheat: To reheat your refrigerated casserole, place individual servings in the microwave on high for 1 minute or until heated through. To reheat from frozen, thaw it completely in your refrigerator overnight. Then, microwave individual servings or bake the entire dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes.
Close up shot of cowboy cornbread casserole dish with spoon inside.

More Casserole Recipes

If you love casseroles as much as I do, here are a few more satisfying and incredibly tasty dishes that your family will gobble up! They come together easily with simple ingredients. For more dinner inspiration, find my full list of casseroles here!

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Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

4 from 1 vote
By: Alyssa Rivers
Cowboy cornbread casserole is a flavorful, comforting meal that's so easy to make. Seasoned ground beef, corn, pinto beans, and Rotel tomatoes are layered with shredded cheddar cheese and a cornbread topping for a winning dinner!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients 

Beef Filling

Cornbread

Instructions 

Beef Filling

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
  • Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add the diced onion and cook until tender.
  • Add the corn, pinto beans, Rotel tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
  • Pour the beef mixture into the prepared pan, then top it with shredded cheese.

Cornbread

  • Combine the corn muffin mix, creamed corn, and sour cream in a medium bowl and mix until you have a thick batter.
  • Spoon the mixture evenly over the casserole.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 718kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 46gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1.119mgPotassium: 1.247mgFiber: 13gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 1.258IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 360mgIron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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14 Comments

  1. tried this recipe, ( cowboy casserole) last evening, We had company, wanted something new and different, so gathered the ingredients, and everyone had two helpings !!! A bit of heat, not a lot, just enough to say there was something in there. Anyway it was good!! Will be keeping the ingredients on hand in the pantry from now on, thank you very much.

  2. 4 stars
    I made this tonight, and it was great! I didnโ€™t have Jiffy mix, but I made a homemade mix to top the casserole. Iโ€™ve made similar casseroles that have been mushy, but the texture of the cornbread was perfect!

  3. Definitely NO milk. Added 2/3 cup of milk and cooked and additional ten minutes. Was still good, but can’t wait to try it again without the milk.

  4. Wow, this looks amazing and love the flavors and spices used here. Will make
    soon. Looks like something the whole family will love!

  5. Beef filling step 1 has a typo, “SPAY a 9ร—13 baking dish with nonstick spray.”

    Milk missing as an ingredient in the cornbread topping.

    1. Hi Michael, thank you for catching those mistakes and pointing them out to me. There is actually no milk in the recipe, so I took it out of the instructions! Thank you for being patient with me!

  6. The picture shows te casserole being served in a cat iron pan. Do I really need to transfer it to a baking dish?

    1. Hi, thank you for the question. There is actually no milk in this recipe. I removed in from the post! Thank you for pointing that out to me!