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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Three Years Ago: Chewy Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Four Years Ago: Fresh Cranberry Apple Relish
Five Years Ago: The Best Chicken {or Turkey} Pot Pie
Six Years Ago: Triple Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies
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.
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!!!