Cowboy Cornbread Casserole is what you make when you're out of patience, out of groceries, and still expected to feed people like it’s the loaves and fishes. It’s retro, it’s rib-sticking, and it bakes up right in your cast iron—because some of us still believe in tradition and cheese.
This is the recipe your grandmother clipped from the back of a soup label, jazzed up with Rotel, and served with a warning not to touch her skillet. Simple, sassy, and unapologetically Southern.
Table of Contents
- 🎥 Make this cowboy cornbread casserole with me
- 🗝️ Why cowboy cornbread casserole deserves a comeback
- 🧾 What you'll need to make this easy ground beef casserole recipe
- 📖 Recipe
- 🔪 How to make cowboy cornbread casserole
- Do I have to cook the beef before making the casserole?
- 📚 More retro recipes to love
- 💬 Comments
🎥 Make this cowboy cornbread casserole with me
Want to see how it all comes together? Watch the full video below—complete with bubbling cheese, cast iron sass, and zero judgment for using boxed mix.
Because sometimes, showing how you make it is just as comforting as the casserole itself.
🗝️ Why cowboy cornbread casserole deserves a comeback
- It’s a full meal in one pan. Meat, beans, veggies, and cornbread all stacked together like it’s fixing to win a potluck popularity contest.
- Uses pantry staples. Ground beef, boxed cornbread, and a can of Rotel—this one practically makes itself while you’re pretending to do something productive.
- Can be assembled ahead (and even frozen). You’re not lazy—you’re prepared. Mix it, chill it, bake it when you feel like it.
- Feeds a crowd without fuss. No side dishes, no garnish, no guilt. Just scoop, serve, and act like you planned it that way.
🧾 What you'll need to make this easy ground beef casserole recipe
You might say that this cowboy cornbread casserole recipe is the shepherd's pie of Tex-Mex cuisine.
Seasoned ground beef, beans, tomatoes, corn, and gooey cheese are all layered under a blanket of golden brown cornbread for a hearty family meal.
- Lean ground beef (90/10): Enough to keep it hearty, not enough to start a grease fire.
- Chopped onions: Because no Southern recipe ever started with, “I skipped the onions.”
- Boxed cornbread mix: Shortcut? Absolutely. But we’re calling it “efficient homemaking.”
- Eggs & milk: The glue that holds our cornbread dreams together.
- Frozen or canned corn: Sweet, simple, and straight from the pantry stash.
- Ranch style beans - If you can't find them use drained pinto beans or make your own copycat Ranch style beans.
- Rotel tomatoes: A Southern kitchen’s secret weapon—zesty, saucy, and just spicy enough to gossip about.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Grated by hand if you’re showing off, bagged if you’re tired. No judgment.
- Taco seasoning: Brings the bold, smoky flavor and lets everyone know this casserole means business.
For tips, storage information, FAQs and more download this free Cowboy Cornbread Casserole Kitchen Cheat Sheet.
📖 Recipe
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 17 ounces Jiffy Cornbread Mix, 2 boxes
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef, 90/10 is best
- 1 cup yellow onion , diced
- 2 cups corn , drained if canned
- 10.5 ounce Ro*tel tomatoes, don't drain
- 14.5 ounce Ranch style chili beans, don't drain -these are pinto beans in a chili sauce
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 1-½ cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
- Mix cornbread according to package instructions using the eggs and milk.
- Set aside.
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is translucent.
- Drain any extra fat. If you used lean (90/10) ground beef you may not need to drain it at all.
- Stir in the Rotel, beans, corn, and taco seasoning.
- Spoon meat mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Top with cheese.
- Spoon cornbread batter over the top and smooth it out.
- Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the casserole comes out clean. An instant read thermometer will read 200℉ when inserted in the center of the casserole.
- Remove from oven. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
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- To prep ahead of time, assemble the ingredients in a casserole dish and refrigerate for up to a day. However, leave off the cornbread batter until you're ready to bake—it only takes a few seconds to mix, anyway.
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- To prep and freeze ahead of time, prepare everything (even the cornbread mix) in a freezer-safe baking dish. Freeze for up to three months. Let the casserole thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake. You may have to add a few minutes of baking time from chilled.
- If you can't find Ranch style beans use drained pinto beans.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make cowboy cornbread casserole
- In a large skillet, brown the meat and onions. Add corn, Rotel tomatoes, taco seasoning, and ranch-style beans.
- Spoon everything into a greased baking dish or leave it in the skillet if it's oven proof.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the meat mixture.
- Carefully spread the cornbread mixture over top and bake.
Do I have to cook the beef before making the casserole?
Yep! The ground beef won't cook through properly if you don't brown it first. Always add cooked ground beef to casserole recipes like this.
Expert Tip: For great flavor, don't drain the beans or Rotel tomatoes. Ranch-style beans are pinto beans in a delicious, zesty tomato sauce.
📚 More retro recipes to love
- This 30-minute Cowboy Spaghetti recipe features everyone's favorite Tex-Mex flavors in a cheesy dish that even kids love to eat.
- John Wayne Casserole combines biscuits, ground beef, and ranch seasoning for a gooey, creamy, hearty casserole dinner.
- In the original Cowboy Casserole, creamy ground beef is layered with peppers and onions underneath a bed of golden tater tots—so fun!
We love this easy, family-friendly casserole. It's so easy to make and it's one of those that is even better the next day.
Mel C says
New family favorite