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:
5-Minute Skillet Broccoli
Sliced apples or other fresh fruit
Mexican chopped salad
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Three Years Ago: Chewy Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
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Seven Years Ago: Amazing Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Eight Years Ago: Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie
Nine Years Ago: Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon
Ten Years Ago: Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars
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.
159 Comments on “Cowboy Dinner {Cornbread Beef and Bean Casserole}”
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 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.
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
A family favorite. I have cheated and used two boxes of Jiffy for the cornbread topping
We love this recipe! My kids wouldn’t eat it at first, even with the mildest salsa. So I tried it with plain tomato sauce (not the full amount, just enough to be wet) instead and now they like it! My husband and I use salsa on top and everyone is happy.
Been a family staple for years. Sometimes add a little more filling or a little less topping. Just depends on how adventurous we feel.
This is one of my family’s favorite meals! I typically use just 1 pound of beef and use 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of black beans. Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
A neighbor made this for us after I had my second baby. It’s been a staple in our house since, the m9ment the air gets brisk. I’ve made it for friends going through breakups or having babies. Ultimate comfort food!
Very dry. I made this exactly as recipe stated and it was too dry…not enough liquid in recipe.
I used your ingredient list to find something different to make with the pound of GROUND BEEF I had on hand. Well, what a nice surprise this meal turned out to be (admittedly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect)! Half the recipe was just right for my one pound of ground beef. Will be making again.
I just made this its really good but the cornbread needs a lil more flavor
I would add creamed corn to the corn. Bread
I love this recipe! You are my very favorite online source for dinner recipes! I’ve tried several of your recipes over the years, and they are always great. As a newer cook, I’ve appreciated your consistent, simple and tasty dinner ideas very much. Thank you!
Thank you, Kay!
Is this dish possible to make into a freezer meal?
I believe others have commented about doing that in the comment thread. I haven’t tried it, sorry!
I made this last night with a chili base. My English husband who loves his potatoes with everything (anything) rated this the equal of a really good shepherds’ pie. It will be on our menu often. Thank you.
Have you ever made this as a freezer meal? How did it turn out? Would you freeze it before or after baking? How should the cooking be altered, if at all, after freezing?
I haven’t made this into a freezer meal but I believe others have in the comment thread.
This is my version that is a huge hit with all:
2 lbs. ground beef/chuck/or turkey
2 pkgs. Corn Kits Cornbread Mix
1 can cream-style corn
1 can Ranch-Style Beans
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
Brown the ground meat of your choice; drain; add bean and Rotel Tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meantime, prepare the cornbread according to the pkg. directions and add cream corn to it.
Layer 1/2 of the cornbread mix in a 9×11 baking pan or dish; top with all the meat mixture; top that with grated cheese; top the meat with remaining cornbread mixture and more grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until brown.
Enjoy!
This was delicious! I made your Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps earlier this week (found out I’m a TERRIBLE tortilla roller/cooker FYI). Since I only had small tortillas, I had a good amount of the rice and bean mixture leftover – into the hamburger mix it went! It was perfect. I’d probably make it the same way next time too!
Also, I made this in an 8×8 pan b/c of the large portion comments above, and used the leftover cornbread mixture to make 6 muffins! It’s like a chain of meals that keep on giving… Thanks 🙂
Is this gluten free or gluten free adabtable?
It could be gluten-free if you adapted the cornbread topping, I believe.
Mel!! I’ve missed you! I check in on the blog every now and then but for a long while I’ve just been making our favorite recipes from your blog because I know them, trust them, and know that they fit in our budget, but I’ve gotten the itch to try some of your new ones! I’m printing out several today and I am looking forward to adding some of these to my book! Thanks for all of the hard work you put into this blog!
We had this for dinner tonight (I cut it in half). Delicious and hearty! Definitely a keeper. I have a filling this will make great leftovers…
~Tamie
I came across this recipe earlier today and saved it on Pinterest. I found myself needing a cornbread recipe to go with chili so I tried this one (without the rest of the casserole, although I do plan on trying that). It was wonderful! I only baked it for about 25 minutes in a 9×13 dish. It went great with the chili!
Can i put a can of corn in the recipe
Sure, you could definitely experiment.
Yummmmmmm
this was delicious
Mel I tried this recipe tonight and it is incredible! My boyfriend is fussy and won’t eat beans, so I used generic peas and corn for some veggies. I just want to say thank you so much for your willingness to share these amazing recipes which are no-fuss and never let me down, as well as using products that are easy to find and inexpensive – it gets disheartening reading delicious recipes that aren’t tailored towards a minimum wage budget, so thank you for the practicality of your cooking. All the best!
Thanks, Hayley – your comment was so sweet and made my day. Super happy you loved this one!
Hi Mel!
You’ve been making me look awfully good around my house!!! This was a huge hit! I have never made anything quite like this before and absolutely loved all the flavors
and the cornbread on top….delish! I used one pound of beef but kept everything else the same….thank you for a very tasty recipe yet again!
Hi Mel! I made this last night but made a few switcheroos with the ingredients to make it meat-free (I’m cutting back 😉 ), and it was delicious. My filling recipe tasted more like chili, and my meat obsessed husband said it was one of the best things he’s ever eaten. I subbed soyrizo (really cheap and really good!) for the ground beef and added more vegis (celery, green onions and diced red yellow and orange peppers) along with the pinto beans, salsa, and yellow onions. Finally, after the whole shebang had been cooking for about 15 minutes, I basted the corn bread with “honey butter” that I made from butter spray and honey. Since it came out so good, I thought I’d share in case you want to try something new!
Can this recipe be made in a crockpot? Perhaps add the cornbread topping in the last hour of cooking?
Cindy – I have never tried it. I don’t know how well the cornbread would work in the slow cooker because of the high moisture but you could certainly experiment. Good luck!
Just put it in the oven. Didn’t have salsa, used tomato with green chilies instead. So we’ll see 🙂
I just made this, and 45 minutes at 375 is WAY too long to bake! Mine came out dark brown- nothing like cornbread. 🙁 Looks like the next time I make it, I will be baking it at 350, for a lesser amount of time.
Was browsing for some new recipe for dinner tonight. When I came across your Cowboy dinner recipe, Right away I knew my family would love to try it.. Will get back to you on my family’s comments.. Thanks
I should also mention that I make the cornbread with coconut milk and an egg substitute (1T ground flax seed/ 3T hot water for 1 egg). Still tastes great.
I wish I could write an essay about how I feel about your website but let’s just say I LOVE it. I’ve got 3 young boys and live in Las Vegas. A friend sent me your link because you’d added a post last spring about food allergies and she knew my 2 yr old has several food allergies. I have yet to make a recipe of yours that we haven’t loved. And I’ve made A LOT of them! One of my children is allergic to dairy, eggs, soy & apples (I know, that’s weird). I’ve found several recipes that are either free of all of those ingredients or can be easily altered and still taste great. One thing I love about your recipes is their basic ingredients that I usually have at home or can be easily found at the grocery store. They’re not off-the-wall ingredients that I’ve never heard of, have to pay a fortune for, or need to go to 5 stores to find. Cowboy Dinner is one of our favorites because one of my 5 yr olds is obsessed with cowboys, my 2 yr old with allergies can eat it (with a separate dish for him with his vegan cheese), and one of mine because everyone eats it. Thanks so much for your website!!
I made this tonight! A hit with my 4 year old and everyone else! I only had 1# of ground beef. I thought about halving the rest of the recipe, but decided to follow it as if I had made it with 2#. It came out perfectly in spite of missing a pound of meat.
I made this for dinner tonight and loved it. Thanks for a fab, filling dinner!
Hi Mel! I was wondering if you had any input on making the cornbread topping gluten free…Have you tried substituting gluten free flour for the regular flour?
Carrie – I’ve never experimented with gluten-free flour in this. Sorry!
I am cooking this for the first time tomorrow and I am doing it as lunch for 60 people at my local Bowling Club. The recipe caught my eye because there is so little work involved and with the ingredients, I am sure it will taste fantastic. I might just spice up my mince with a good bit of Paprika 😉
Wonderful recipe! Thanks for sharing it. I tried it today and me and my husband definitely loved it. I do have a question, though. Have your tried putting a cornbread layer beneath the beef and another above? I was thinking it would make it easier for picnics. How about cowboy muffins? Thanks again,
Saray
Saray – I’ve never tried cornbread below but sounds yummy!
Looks delicious! Think I’ll give it a try tonight. 😀
Just made this for dinner tonight and my husband just got thirds out of the fridge…. Two hours after our dinner! He can’t stop raving about it. Thanks again for another keeper!
I have decided (since mom is on vacation) that this will be for dinner! Only changes that I’m making is using tomato sauce instead of salsa because my sister is a picky eater. I’ve been looking for something like this for awhile. My boyfriend’s grandma makes this all the time but would never tell me what it was. Thanks!!!! 😀
For those interested in freezing, I have been doubling or tripling this recipe and freezing the meat mixture in Ziploc bags. Then I just defrost the meat and add freshly made cornbread topping. Takes less room in the freezer this way and tastes great.
I just wanted to mention that I cooked the meat mixture in a deep 12-inch skillet and then just put the cheese and cornbread on top of it right in the pan and put it in the oven. It worked out great! It cooked a bit quicker too (I’d guess 25-30 minutes) because the meat mixture was still pretty hot when I put the other stuff on top. Quicker and fewer dishes = yay!
I made this tonight after searching Pinterest for a recipe that I could make for dinner that did NOT involve me going to the grocery store. It was absolutely delicious! I’ll be making this again and again.
Any idea what the nutritional information is per serving? I’d love to know how many calories. 🙂 In the oven right now!
Hi Amie – I don’t track nutritional info on my recipes but there are several online calculators you can google. Hope you liked the cowboy dinner!
Wow! A winner! I really was surprised about how delicious this was. I used ground turkey and black beans. A keeper. Thanks, Mel!
This was so delicious!! What would I do without this site?!?! I am a newlywed that is also new to cooking and I have found so many recipes my husband and I love from here!
I am your newest follower and LOVED this recipe! 🙂
I put my own twist on this recipe. I have two little children and I knew the salsa would not be a hit with them – So I omitted the salsa & black beans and substituted a large can of baked beans. I added a little bit of ketchup & mustard as well. I didn’t have anything to make cornbread so I made a Bisquick breading instead (1c Bisquick, 1/2 c milk, 1 egg). It was a hit with everyone! **Also I halved the recipe – so probably 1 – 2 large cans of baked beans or 1 large & 1 small – – and then double the Bisquick recipe if making a full batch!**
so yumm-e! I halfed this And added garlic and a half a can of wax beans (was leftovers in fridge needed used up lol), used can corn out of froze, used two kinds of salsa
Well I did this with bisquick and it was a success! I used:
3/4-1 cup bisquick
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk.
It turned out great and I will definitely make it again! Thank you!
Hey Mel! I am making this tonight for my husband ,but he doesn’t like cornbread. Do you think I could use bisquick instead? If you have tried this and it was a disaster please let me know. If not I will post my results this evening after I have tried this modification to let you and future readers know. Cross your fingers!.
P.S. Thanks for the great recipes!
Dee – for that many people, I’d definitely recommend doubling it. You may have some leftover but I don’t think one batch is enough to feed that crowd. I love to serve this with a green salad and a couple varieties of whatever fresh fruit are in season.
Hi Mel..I am planning on making this tomorrow. I have 2 questions. Will this feed 4 adults and 6 kids, or would you recommend making 2 batches? Also, what would you recommend serving this with to make a complete meal? Thanks! (Oh what would I do without your recipes to help me!)
I made this last night and it was delicious. I added a can of creamed corn to the corn bread jiffy mix for the topping. Much more moist! I also added a can of diced tomatoes and some chopped green chile’s instead of sales because thatis what I had on hand. I will definitely make this again. Thanks!!!
I have been making this dish, or a variation, for quite some time now! Thank you for some great inspiration. Tonight I went out on a limb and substituted lentils in for the beef. While you know you’re not eating meat, it’s still turned out wonderfully! The lentil version will definitely make the rotation. 🙂
Made this substituting Jiffy corn bread mix and rotel. It was terrific.
Making this for dinner tonight, for the second time. Just thought I would chime in and tell you we love it. We basically love everything from your website. Truth be told, I cook something from your website 5 nights a week, at least. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful recipes.
I have to admit I wasn’t excited about this recipe as I was preparing it. I still have nightmares about my mother’s shepherd’s pie and this just seemed too much like shepherd’s pie for me to like it. As I stirred in the beans and salsa into the meat mixture it seemed too dry but I stuck to the recipe and it’s a good thing I did because it was perfect in the end. I’ll just be totally honest as admitt that I ate two huge portions! I haven’t had cornbread in years and this has made me wonder why. Amazing stuff!
This recipe makes way more than we are able to go through in one sitting so I divided the cooked meat mixture into two 8X8 dishes and topped both with the shredded cheese and put 1 of the dishes in the freezer. I then preparred the cornbread topping and put half on the dish we would be eating for dinner and the other half on the now frozen meat mixture and but back into the freezer unbaked. Now I have a cowboy dinner in the freezer for an emergency. I did this prior to reading Katie’s comment above so I’m glad someone else has had some success with this method. I think next time however I will divide the meat/cheese mixture just the same but then just make 1/2 a recipe of the cornbread at at time. It’s takes less time to prepare than preheating the oven and would save baking time in the end. Just write the cornbread recipe on the foil cover of your frozen dish and you’re good to go when you need it.
Made this last night it was AMAZING! I subbed the recipe for your cornbread muffins as the topper because we were reeeeally craving your cornbread muffins the night before. So I had enough batter leftover for 6 muffins, after I had topped the dinner. (two birds, one stone, I thought.)
Also, I only used 1 lb. hamburger and it worked just fine.
I have passed several people the link to your website because I am so in love with your food. Thanks for making dinner inspiring!!!
Loved this! Easy to put together, doesn’t require fancy ingredients, and tastes great! It was a hit at our house tonight. I followed your recipe except I halved it. Was just perfect.
My family was invited to a 5th Tuesday evening potluck at a local “cowboy church”. I was pondering what to cook when I came across your Cowboy Dinner – perfect! Due to sickness we missed the actual dinner w/ the cowboys, but we proceeded w/ our menu & had Cowboy Dinner at home followed by Cowboy Cookies. We knew we loved the cookies – my husband’s co-workers were thrilled when he walked in w/ a fresh batch of them yesterday! This Dinner is a new favorite for us – we really, really enjoyed it!! We planned to have leftovers tonight but my parents are sick so I’m taking them the leftovers along w/ your Creamy Chicken & Veggie Soup (& rolls, of course!). We’ll be trying your Clam Chowder tonight. Can’t wait!!
Christina – a commenter a few above you, Katie, commented about her experience freezing this. Check out her comment – sounds like it will work!
Do you think this recipe would freeze ok?
We made this tonight for supper. Very easy and good!
We always have Jiffy in the house so I cheated and used 2 boxes of that. My package of beef was barely more than a pound but wouldn’t you know I had some BACON in the fridge just dying to fill in for it! LOL. It was amazing. I will always make it with bacon from now on. YUM. I also barely noticed the cheese, so next time I’ll either leave it out completely, or mix it into the cornbread batter. I once made a cornbread topper with pepperjack cheese mixed into the batter. That was GOOD. Thanks for another winner Mel!
I wanted so much for this to work out and taste delish. BUT, it wasn’t that great. My husband liked the cornbread top and even said it would be good to just scrape it off and have with butter and honey; but the mixture of the sweet on top with the spicy meaty mexican on the bottom just didn’t jive together. We all agreed that this was a dish not to be repeated. Sorry.
Made this for the first time tonight. I was searching for a good meal I could use my canned ground beef with. Perfection!
I’ve made several variations of this kind of meal before, none of which have really impressed my husband. However, when I made this last night for dinner my husband said he loved it and had multiple helpings. We LOVED it!
Just checking back in after having this meal again tonight…from the freezer! I stuck this in the freezer UNBAKED about 2 months ago before having my baby, and pulled it out this morning. After having it in the fridge all day it was still mostly frozen, but I put it in a 350 degree oven and baked it for 45 minutes covered with foil. After 45 minutes, I took the foil off, turned the oven up to 400 degrees and baked for another 20 or so minutes. It turned out perfect. Hope that helps anyone else looking for some freezer meals!
You are awesome for checking back with how it went freezing it! Thanks for helping others out!
Thanks for the info. I was hoping to be able to make it ahead and freeze it as well but was a bit worried about how it might affect the cornbread in particular. Good to know the freezing didn’t hurt it
I used black beans and chopped chipolte peppers instead of the salsa and it turned out sooo incredibly GOOD! The smoky flavor of the chipolte peppers with the cornbread was such good combo!
Delicious! Spiced it up a bit with some Cajun spices and some garlic, but I couldn’t stop eating it! Even our nine-month-old daughter enjoyed it!
Hahahahahahahaha! I wondered if you would ever post this. Didn’t we polish off an entire pan of this one night?! Oh how I loved me some Cowboy dinner. I think I’ll make it tonight for nostalgia’s sake as well. (oh, and the “not-so-success” dinner you are referring to is Kiersten’s tuna cassarole right? 🙂
I made this on Thursday night. It was easy to assemble, but I got anxious to pour the cornbread batter on top and accidentally forgot to sprinkle the cheese on the neat mixture first – oops! It still turned out fine and the cornbread wasn’t soggy. We just sprinkled cheese on top after we plated it and a dollop of sour cream. So good. We ate the leftovers tonight – Sat. 🙂
I am having our second baby in about six weeks and am starting to freeze some meals. I read the above comments about freezing, but I think I’m going to try freezing this BEFORE baking. I will let you know how it turns out. *Hopefully* good! :o) Love your site – many of our favorite dishes have come from you!!
It sure does look delicious!
If I halved the recipe how long should I cook it for? The same?
Tessa – for a halved recipe, I would start checking for doneness after 25 minutes.
So I made this last night. I made a few changes just because I am stubborn that way at times but it was loved. I ended up sharing with the neighbors behind us and they loved it so much. Thanks for sharing.
I was looking for something different to try with ground beef and I think this is it!!! I’ll probably use black beans because that’s what I already have. I’ll be back to post how it turns out!
Jessica (sorry for the delay in responding) – I use Pace Picante Medium salsa (sometimes chunky and sometimes not).
Oh cool, this reminds me of tamale pie! I know I’d love it!
i know this by the name cornbread casserole, but i think i like your title better since anything that brings cowboys to mind is a-okay with me. 🙂
This recipe looks so good, makes my mouth water. I love beans and cornbread.
Thank you for sharing! I have to try this!!
Sounds seriously good! I don’t know if we ever made anything that good in college 🙂
Laura – you know, as many times as I’ve made this, I’ve never frozen it so I’m not sure. I think you would definitely want to freeze after baking but I’m wondering if that would dry out the cornbread. Hmmmm, I think before I’d give advice to freeze, I would probably recommend halving the recipe if you don’t want a big dish.
We call this tamale pie too! And I mix up this recipe, depending on what’s on hand, and if the designated eaters are spicy or not! This is a wonderful dish for cold wintery days, taking to a sick friend, pot lucks, etc! Thanks for sharing!
This looks wonderful! A quick question for you – since it makes a lot, do you think it would freeze well? Thanks!
Totally have this same recipe except my recipe calls for Taco Seasoning and Rotel tomatoes but I think fresh or jarred salsa like you listed would be much better!
Wow! This looks yummy!
this looks good and easy. think i’ll use ground turkey with it. I love your blog..:)
We had this for dinner and it was fantastic! The cornbread was crunchy on the top, soft in the middle and just soaked up a bit of the filling from below- perfect! It makes a LOT- good thing my husband liked it so much- he will be eating it for a few more days! Thanks again for another great recipe!
Looks yummy! Do you have an issue with the bottom of the cornbread getting soggy from the meat mixture?
This reminds me of my southwestern pot pie which I adore! Mine uses black beans and also has carrots with a creamy chili-powder laced sauce. I better get it on the menu for this week!
I am going to put this one in my rotation to try. This looks great!
This looks really hearty and delicious:)
So you’d use Pace Picante, like medium? What’s on your pantry shelf?
Now THAT is some comfort food!
Mmm… I used to make something like this with a boxed cornbread mix. Since I try to stay away from packaged food these days, I’m definitely going to try your homemade version soon! My husband will love this – thanks!
I’m making this tonight! Thanks for the dinner idea!
So glad I ended up here… I’m making this tonight. It looks awesome!
This is so going on the menu later this week. I have no grocery money left and I’ve been trying to us stuff from in the house and I have all the ingredients on hand. Added bonus several of those items our on a shelf I need to clean out of the freezer. My mouth is drooling just thinking of it.
I call it Tamale pie too! But I kinda cheat and use leftover chili as the base and Jiffy cornbread mix!
Yum…what a great meal. The cornbread topping is a perfect finisher.
My husband’s familiy calls this tamale pie – a great easy dish to make when you’re in a cooking funk!
I am a huge fan of dishes like this–I still can’t decide if I like it better with cornbread or mashed potatoes. Both are truly delicious though!
I made this tonight and the family loved it! My 7yr old couldn’t get enough! I do recommend adding more salsa but still very yummy! I did do a short cut on the cornbread I used MarthaWhite’s mix which was perfect!