Cowboy Dinner {Cornbread Beef and Bean Casserole}
Cowboy dinner is a hearty casserole of flavorful beef, corn and beans topped with soft, fluffy cornbread and a layer of cheese. So delicious!
This easy, comfort food casserole has been a family favorite for over 20 years! After that long, you know the recipe has to be a keeper!
Beef and Bean Layer
This casserole is made up of two parts. First is the beef and bean layer.
It couldn’t be easier! Ground beef and onion are cooked together before adding:
- beans (pinto are my favorite for this recipe, but black, kidney or white beans work, too)
- frozen corn
- salsa
Important Note: choose a salsa that you love the taste of because the majority of flavor in the beef and bean filling comes from that ingredient!
Cornbread Layer
Next up is the cornbread layer! Taking notes from this favorite cornbread recipe, the cornbread topping is a one-bowl recipe that comes together fast.
Dry ingredients:
- cornmeal
- flour
- sugar
- baking powder + salt
Wet ingredients:
- oil or melted butter
- eggs
- milk or buttermilk
Like any good cornbread, don’t over mix the batter! Mixing just until combined ensures the baked cornbread will be light and fluffy!
Assembling Cowboy Dinner
Don’t blink or you’ll miss it (it’s so easy!).
- Beef and bean filling
- Shredded cheese
- Cornbread
The addition of cheese provides a delightful salty flavor boost as well as a creamy texture element between the filling and the cornbread. Don’t skip it!
A Weeknight Wonder
Simple and satisfying, this cornbread casserole may not win any gourmet food awards, but it is perfect for a super tasty weeknight meal.
It also makes a fantastic take-in meal! It is so family-friendly. I’ve brought it to many a new mom or friend in need over the years.
The filling isn’t overly saucy – it’s more “piecey” if that makes sense. We like it just as it is, but if you prefer a more saucy filling, add a cup or two of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (be sure to add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste if needed).
PS: this cowboy dinner also makes a great dutch oven meal for camping and feels really quite appropriate with the chucwagon-vibe of the cornbread, beef and beans.
5-Star Reviews
Behold the other rave reviews for this casserole (so you don’t have to take just my word for it!).
Winnie says: Never expected to find an empty pan with a request to make it once a week. They loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
J. Wayne says: Been a family staple for years. Sometimes add a little more filling or a little less topping. Just depends on how adventurous we feel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chrissy says: A neighbor made this for us after I had my second baby. It’s been a staple in our house since, the moment the air gets brisk. I’ve made it for friends going through breakups or having babies. Ultimate comfort food! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tiann says: Thank you! My whole family loves this recipe & I make it often! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What to Serve With This
- Mexican chopped salad
- Sliced apples or other fresh fruit
- 5-Minute Skillet Broccoli
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Nine Years Ago: Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon
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Cowboy Dinner {Cornbread Beef and Bean Casserole}
Ingredients
Beef Mixture:
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 ½ cups salsa, store bought or homemade
- 1 (15-ounce) can black, pinto, or white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cornbread Topping:
- ½ cup (85 g) cornmeal
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) flour
- ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.
- In a large 12-inch skillet set over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onion, salt and pepper, until the meat is fully cooked. Drain the grease from the pan.
- Stir in the corn, salsa, and beans. Spread the beef mixture evenly in the prepared pan and set aside.
- For the cornbread, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, eggs and milk. Whisk together until just combined (don't over mix).
- Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture. Pour the cornbread batter over the top and spread evenly all the way to the edges.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the cornbread is baked through. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and the top should spring back lightly to the touch. Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally posted January 2011; updated November 2022 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve now made it four times, and it turns out perfect every single time. I absolutely love how easy and delicious it is—it’s definitely staying in my rotation for years to come!
Since I enjoyed your dish so much, I wanted to share one of my own that’s been in my family for quite a while. If you’re looking for another easy, crowd-pleasing recipe, this Taco Soup is a must-try! There are a lot of variations out there, but this one never disappoints:
Family Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1–2 pounds of ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel (I use mild, but go spicier if you like)
1 can pinto beans
1 can ranch-style beans
1 can corn
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
1 packet taco seasoning
Tortilla chips (I love Tostitos with a hint of lime, but any kind works)
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Directions:
1. Brown the hamburger meat and drain the grease.
2. In a large pot, add all the canned ingredients.
3. Add the cooked hamburger meat.
4. Sprinkle in both seasoning packets.
5. Stir everything together, heat through, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
6. Serve hot, topped with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.
It’s so flavorful, super filling, and even better the next day—plus, it makes a ton, so you’ll have leftovers to enjoy. Give it a try when you get a chance! Thanks again for the amazing recipe—I’m so glad I found it!
Ridiculously delicious. Cut the recipe in 1/2 for 2 and subbed ground turkey for beef, and used a single box of Jiffy cornbread mix vs homemade. Added 1/2 of a chopped red bell pepper, some cilantro and a little more salsa when cooking the meat. HUGE success!!! Thank you for sharing this old school gem!
I made this for my grandchildren, and it was a hit with the whole family! I think the cornbread topping took it over the top! Thanks for a tasty recipe!
***I meant I only have canned corn can I substitute for the frozen?
I only have canned corn would this work over frozen?
Yes just drain it well.
Any suggestions for salsa replacement? My family doesn’t eat tomatoes or peppers? Everything else sounds delicious.
Hi Sonja, you could try BBQ sauce, perhaps? Or a green salsa with less texture and no tomatoes?
I’d recommend sticking to the 2lb of ground beef. I tried the recipe but only had a pound thawed and the cornbread sucked up all the sauce & left a thin layer of meat and green beans underneath. I tried this recipe just to use things I had at the house already. I did the base with ground beef and onions, French green beans, leftover homemade turkey stock from thanksgiving & some heavy cream. Freshly shredded cheddar and then the cornbread layer. The flavors were great I might try again with a thinner layer of cornbread batter as well.
How can I put this in the freezer for a take in meal?
I haven’t tried freezing this, so I don’t have firm advice, but you could try baking, cooling and then freezing with instructions on how to reheat, maybe?
What would be the best way to reheat without drying out cornbread topping?
Try reheating covered (with foil) in the oven at 250 degrees until warm.
This was super good! The cornbread wasn’t dry at all and the meat filling had tons of flavor, even without the cheese which I forgot. Thanks for a great recipe!
yummy
This is a great recipe! Simple to make, and great results. Opinionated toddler approved. Added some extra salsa and a bit of tomato paste, heavy cream and flour to the beef because I wanted a bit more of a gravy, and that worked well and didn’t make the cornbread soggy. The cornbread topping has the perfect consistency. Definitely adding this to the rotation!
Very easy, great smelling, great tasting! And leftovers for two days 🙂
Boom! This was awesome! The only change I made was using a Marie Callendars boxed mix for the cornbread topping. Other than that, followed it exactly. My 11-yr-old immediately asked me to add this to the dinners rotation
Looks yummy especially in this rainy day thank you
I made this last night, but veganized it by using beyond beef, vegan cheese shreds, and a vegan cornbread recipe from Nora cooks and omg it was so delicious!!! So comforting and satisfying – will definitely make again!
I’m looking for a way to use my leftover cornbread in a casserole
A great versatile base recipe! I used it to clean out the fridge- I threw in half a bell pepper, a small zucchini, and some lonely mushrooms with the corn. I added a small can of tomato sauce, but might try BBQ sauce next time. I used whole wheat flour and buttermilk for the cornbread and exchanged a bit of the sugar for honey. My youngest said this is his new top favorite dinner recipe! I’m going to have to play around with this to see what else I can do with it now.
This recipe is phenomenal. I made it for my family (partner, plus two small kids) and everyone loved it. I used 2 pounds of ground beef, plus I added extra liquids because I’ve made other dishes like this and didn’t like it when they dried out. I used the full jar of salsa and added a little under a cup of water with chicken bouillon. I also added a lot of extra seasoning, some chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and paprika. Unfortunately I made a big mistake and pulled it out of the oven too early. I tested it with a toothpick but somehow missed that the bottom of the cornbread was still raw until I cut out portions for my kids. Don’t make my mistake! Luckily it turned out fine, I just cooked it for another 15 minutes. It was a bit of a mess but it was delicious. This is definitely going into the family rotation. Thanks Mel!
As a long time dedicated Mel-recipes cook, I decided to try this one tonight even though I didn’t have salsa (I subbed two cans of Rotel with green chilis) Husband and I loved it, kids 7 and 9) were anti-cornbread topping but loved the insides and requested it again soon. But they also hate potatoes so don’t take their opinion too much to heart 🙂
I have been wanting to make chili and cornbread, but just needed a simple dinner tonight. I decided to try this and it was perfect. Obviously not the depth of flavors as chili, but to be honest my younger kids liked this better. This will be a repeat for sure. Thanks again, Mel!
So good and easy to make earlier in the day then bake later!
My husband and I were sick and I asked my oldest 16 year old if she would please make dinner for our family of six—I had no ideas what to make let alone the capacity to guide her. Where did she turn? YOU! And this recipe was exactly the thing our family needed on a cold night tired of soup and thanksgiving leftovers. This is a winning, crowd pleasing recipe and you made her a rock star in the kitchen, Mel! I have not properly thanked you for unknowingly becoming our adopted Aunt, so please accept my deepest thanks for your work. In our greatest need, even my kids know to turn to you!
I loved this, Mary. Thank you so much! Your daughter is amazing (I could use her around here!). 🙂
Thumbs up all around! I had some poblanos languishing in the fridge so I chopped them up and added them with the onions. Also, in case it helps someone else: 1 c dry pintos + 4 c water + 2 t salt in InstantPot 35 minutes, NR 20 minutes.
Made this but swapped out taco meat for the ground beef and added extra beans (husband takes his lunch so I wanted to make sure we had enough for leftovers). I also used my own cornbread recipe. It was phenomenal and easy to make in the morning to throw in the oven later! My son said it reminds him of fall in the middle of summer, and my picky toddler asked for seconds. Win!
Made this tonight with leftover pulled pork and gluten free flour in the corn bread. Kids wont stop talking about how good it is.
Made this last night when I was feeding the missionaries (trio of young men) and my brother and SIL. Wasn’t sure if one batch would do, so I doubled it (used 2 9×13″ pans). We polished off the first and probably a third of the second, so I was able send the elders off with a hefty serving for each plus a lunch serving for me. Very tasty, very easy and will definitely make it again.
Doubled the recipe, added 8 oz of tomato sauce just to moisten it a bit more. So delicious! May try again vegetarian style, just using variety of beans. Thank you Mel!
This was good even though I forgot the cheese on top of the meat and I forgot to put baking powder in the corn bread. ♀️
I’m glad it still worked out!
My family loved it! I accidentally forgot to put the cheese on the meat mix prior to the corn bread batter so I put it on top. It turned out really good!
So happy to hear this – thanks, Carlie!
This was delicious for a vegetarian option substituting with plant based meat. Super tasty and easy!
Has anyone tried making this with just a Jiffy mix for the cornbread topping? Don’t have any cornmeal and was wondering if that would work the same?
It works great, Abby!
I made this in a 11×14 pan (added a few extra ingredients) and mixed up two boxes of Jiffy cornbread to add on top and it turned out great!
Very good with ground elk, too.
Could this be prepared and then frozen to bake later? I wasn’t sure how it might impact the cornbread layer
I haven’t tried freezing before baking – worth a try!
Hey Mel! I have a bunch of cornbread muffins in the freezer leftover from our neighborhood Halloween potluck. Is there any way to make this with already baked cornbread?
Hi Sami, maybe just baking the filling til hot and serving with the leftover muffins? I wouldn’t bake the muffins with the filling as they’ll likely dry out.
What?! No mention of eating an entire pan of this in college with your roommates? I completely forgot about Cowboy Dinner. It was definitely my favorite in college. I need to resurrect it! Thanks for the reminder. Hopefully one pan will be enough for my family. ha!
Haha, Dixie…SSSHHHHHHH. We don’t talk about that. 🙂
Could you use other vegetables beside corn, in the cowboy dinner?
Yes, you definitely could! This recipe is really adaptable.
Easy and yummy!
I used sausage and beef. But added kidney beans and a Can of Rotel tomatoes. Also, I used Mexicali corn and put it in the cornbread topping. Oh and I used two boxes of jiffy corn bread
Loved it . I added some cajun spice and pepper . I also split the recipe in two parts and put a full portion of cornbread on each casserole.
A new favorite! What else do you have up your sleeve that’s this good and this easy!?!
Made this and loved it, we just missed the sweetness in the cornbread! I checked the normal cornbread recipe and it should be 2/3 cup sugar, not 1/3. Just a heads up if you’re looking for thr sweetness in the cornbread. Other than that, we loved it and it came together SUPER fast.
What sides would go good with this for dinner
A green salad or steamed veggie, like broccoli, would be good!
This dish turned out great! I used black beans in my version. I also sprinkled shredded cheese on top of the corn bread batter before baking and it gave the dish a neat, textured surface.
Can I make a layer of mashed potatoes before I add the cornbread topping? Will it all cook correctly?
I haven’t tried that so I don’t know for sure – sorry!
Thank u for this! I had this when I was a kid once. Now I’m 32 and just put this in the oven thanks to you 😉 my family gets to see how wonderful it is. And easy.
Thank you! My whole family loves this recipe & I make it often! (Just wanted to note that the baking time is significantly less for me, 25-30 min. & my oven seems true to time on most recipes.)
Same here, I took it out 10 min early and it was already very dark and the topping was almost crunchy. Still good but I’ll cut back time to 25-30 min.
My family loves this recipe. I’ve been making it for years so I thought I’d check in and tell you thanks for the easy recipe! I cook ground beef three pounds at a time with a few onions and then I freeze it in a few containers for quick meals later. I always have cooked pinto beans in the fridge so I just throw all the filling ingredients in a pan to warm while I mix up the topping. When the filling is boiling I put the topping on and throw it in the oven at 400 degrees. With the filling so hot it cooks in about 20 minutes, so it ends up being a 35 minute meal. It has saved me many times! Thanks!
Great tips, thank you, Julia!
Never expected to find an empty pan with a request to make it once a week. They loved it.
Perfect recipe thanks it was awesome
Could