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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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.
161 Comments on “Cowboy Dinner {Cornbread Beef and Bean Casserole}”
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 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