Description
Cornbread Taco Bake is a delicious and hearty Tex-Mex casserole featuring seasoned ground beef, black beans, and corn topped with a fluffy cornbread crust and melted cheddar cheese. This easy-to-make dish combines comforting flavors ideal for a family dinner or meal prep, garnished with fresh toppings like green onions, sour cream, and diced tomatoes.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Vegetable Mixture
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
Cornbread Topping
- 1 (8.5 oz) box cornbread mix (such as Jiffy)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
Toppings
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup salsa
- Chopped green onions (optional)
- Sour cream (optional)
- Diced tomatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat mixture: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion until the beef is browned and the onion is softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning and water, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens. Add the black beans and corn, stir to combine, and remove the skillet from heat.
- Make the cornbread batter: In a medium bowl, mix together the cornbread mix, egg, and milk just until combined to avoid overmixing, which can make the topping tough.
- Assemble the bake: Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish. Spread the beef and vegetable mixture evenly in the dish. Pour the cornbread batter over the meat mixture and gently spread it out to cover evenly.
- Bake the dish: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese and salsa evenly on top.
- Finish baking: Return the dish to the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the cornbread topping is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes to set before slicing. Garnish with chopped green onions, sour cream, and diced tomatoes if desired, then serve warm.
Notes
- Add chopped jalapeños or green chiles to the cornbread batter for extra heat and flavor.
- This dish is ideal for meal prep and reheats well in the microwave or oven.
- Use gluten-free cornbread mix if you want to make the dish gluten-free.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
