Mexican Cornbread Casserole is a filling meal. This south-of-the-border-inspired casserole is a great way to feed a family. Boxed Jiffy cornbread mix, ground beef, corn, and a few additional ingredients make for a hearty dinner, and best of all, this dish reheats very well.
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What makes Mexican Cornbread Casserole with ground beef so good?
Mexican cornbread casserole has been one of my favorite weeknight meals. I love how simple this casserole is to put together. With some taco-seasoned ground beef and a few extra ingredients, you can turn this recipe into something your family will love.
Why you should try this easy Mexican cornbread casserole tonight!
Are you looking for a main dish that will fill hungry bellies? This is the recipe for you. This casserole is hearty and flavorful. You can make this ahead of time when you prepare your meal for the week, and this can serve as the whole meal. If you want, you could add a side or two, but this is very satisfying on its own.
Mexican Cornbread with Meat
Casseroles are an excellent weeknight meal option. This Jiffy Mexican cornbread bake is very easy to put together. I like keeping a couple of boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix on hand for recipes like this one.
You can be flexible in this recipe—using sausage instead of hamburger meat. If you have a few extra leftover vegetables in the refrigerator, green beans and carrots are just as tasty as corn.
What Makes Mexican Cornbread Casserole the Perfect Weeknight Meal?
Weekday meals must be easy to prepare, clean up, and, most importantly, something everyone in your family loves. Mexican Cornbread Casserole with ground beef fits this definition to a “T.”
It stores well in the fridge and wonderfully in the freezer. You can get away with serving it as a one-dish meal, add sides if you desire.
And, happily, no one in your family will ever complain that it is Mexican Cornbread with meat night!
Mexican Corn Bread Casserole Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef – I like to use ground chuck. You could swap this out for sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey if you desire
- Taco seasoning mix – you can use one package or two tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning
- 2 boxes of Jiffy Mix cornbread. If you don’t like Jiffy Mix, use two packages that total up to a dry weight of 17 ounces
- 1 can of cream-style corn
- 1 can of corn kernels
- Shredded Cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, Mexican cheese blend, or Monterey Jack would also work well
- 1 small can of green chilies
How to Make Mexican Cornbread Casserole
Here are the simple recipe steps:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the taco seasoning according to the package directions. Set the meat mixture aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine two boxes of jiffy cornbread mix according to the package directions. Stir in half of the cream corn and half of the canned corn.
- Pour half of the jiffy corn muffin mix into the baking pan. Top with seasoned ground beef mixture.
- Then, top the seasoned meat with the remaining corn kernels and creamed corn.
- Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese, then the remaining cornbread batter, and top with the remaining cheese.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and serve.
Recipe variations
You can customize this recipe to your personal preferences, here are some customizations that I like to use.
- Use spicy cornbread kits to add a little more spice
- Add a can of green chilis to the ground beef when you prepare this,
- Add some chopped poblano peppers to the taco meat as you cook it.
- Instead of using taco seasoning, you could use about 6 ounces of your favorite taco sauce.
- Swap out the cheese if you desire.
Customize Mexican Cornbread Casserole with Fun Toppings
Make your casserole fun with these exciting toppings. There is no reason why any night of the week can’t be fun. This Mexican cornbread casserole is one of those easy recipes you want to keep.
- A drizzle of your favorite taco sauce
- Fresh jalapeno peppers or pickled jalapeno peppers if you like a little less heat
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Additional shredded cheese, if desired
- Sliced green onions
- Sliced black olives
How To Serve Mexican Cornbread Casserole With Meat
When the casserole comes out of the oven, let it cool for about five minutes. Then run the tip of a sharp knife along the inside edge of the casserole dish.
Cut the Mexican Cornbread into squares and transfer each portion to a plate using a spatula. Top with your choice of sour cream, green onions, drained canned beans, cheese, or salsa.
What To Serve With Mexican Cornbread Casserole
Although Mexican Cornbread with ground beef makes a great meal, adding a flavorful dish on the side will make it more filling. Here are just a few suggestions:
- Beans. Baked beans and cornbread is a classic combination, but Texas Chili Beans go better with this recipe. You may also want to try a traditional Three Bean Salad.
- Grilled vegetables. Brush your favorite veggies with oil, season wells, and grill over medium heat until nicely charred. No grill? Try these Roasted Brussels Sprouts instead.
- Green salad. A simple salad with a little balsamic vinegarette or Italian dressing adds a lot of crunch and some tang to the meal.
How To Store Cornbread Mexican Casserole
Go ahead and make this dish ahead of time. Please keep it in the casserole dish, and cover the top with aluminum foil. The casserole will stay fresh for three days in the fridge. You can also keep servings in individual airtight containers. It freezes wonderfully for more extended storage.
To freeze:
- Let the Mexican Cornbread cool to room temperature.
- Transfer each slice to a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Freeze for up to two months.
To reheat.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight if frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place Mexican Cornbread slices in a casserole dish or an oven-safe cast iron pot. Leave some space between each piece.
- Spray the top of the cornbread with a bit of water to keep it from drying out.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.
- Reheat in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until warm.
To reheat quickly, place a serving on a microwave-safe plate and microwave it in 30-second increments until warmed.
Do you love casseroles? Try these recipes!
- Mexican Beef Casserole
- Chili Relleno Casserole with Ground Beef
- Spaghetti Bake Casserole
- Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
- Sour Cream Noodle Casserole
- Cracker Barrel Casserole
- Baked Potato Casserole Dickeys
- Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef
- Hamburger and Bean Casserole
- Easy to Make Chicken Casserole
More Mexican Food Recipes
Be sure to take a look at more of my main dish casserole recipes and easy to make Mexican food.
Mexican Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- non-stick cooking spray
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1.25 ounces taco seasoning mix
- 17 ounces corn muffin mix 2 boxes, Jiffy is recommended
- 14 ounces canned cream-style corn
- 14 ounces canned corn
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces canned green chilies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium-high heat until it browns.
- Drain the beef, and add the taco seasoning per package directions.
- In a large bowl, prepare the corn muffin batter per package directions (but do not bake it yet). Stir in half of the cream-style corn and half of the regular corn.
- Spread half of the cornbread batter in the prepared baking pan and top with taco meat.
- Mix together the remaining cream-style corn and corn kernels and spread that over the meat.
- Sprinkle with half of the grated cheese and all of the green chilies.
- Spread the remaining cornbread mixture on top.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cornbread is baked through.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then cut into squares to serve with any toppings you desire.
Video
Notes
- Swap half of the Cheddar cheese for grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle into the taco seasoning mix
SamT
I could go for this one again.
Carolyn Milinovich
I made this recipe exactly as written and it turned out perfect and so delicious! I would not change a thing.
Ragane
Made this a while back and it was soooo good. Will be making this again real soon. Also, I did bake my bottom layer of cornbread first just till almost done and layered on the rest, turned out great! Also recommend the salsa and sour cream!!
Esthet
I made this last night. I used more cheese, less creamed corn and more frozen corn, and replaced green chilies with a can of Rotella (partially drained.) And 1.5lbs gr beef. Was a big hit. Next time I’ll use the Hot Rotel w/all the juice. (Needed a little more Mexican flavor)
Esther
*Esther ????
Angi
I have made something very similar for many years, and it is always a hit. Instead of the creamed corn I use diced tomatoes. I also mix my burger with refried beans. I then layer the burger mix, cheese, tomatoes, corn, then corn bread. We call it Taco Bake.
T Shields
For a baking dish matching the size used here the measurements don’t work very well. It should be 3 packages of cornbread, 3 cans of corn (2 creamed) 2 cans of chiles & another 1/2 pound of meat.
Or keep ingredient portions as they are listed and use a smaller baking dish.
Carol
Am I understanding that you put 1/2 the corn mixture into the cornbread batter?
Cyndy
So good! My teenagers love this. It is our new comforter food!
Shellie
Sounds great. Can’t Wait to try this.
Melissa
Made this tonight and figured out quickly to cook the bottom layer of cornbread about 80% before adding the other layers. Because I used an 11×9 pan, I doubled the cornbread and meat but should not have doubled the cornbread. It was too much and the casserole was too dry. Will definitely make again with some adjustments.
Judy Sorensen
This sounds so good. My family will love it. Will make it tonight & thank you so much for posting it. Keep them coming.
Toni Peters
Made this tonight!!!! AMAZING! Love reading all the comments. Defiantly making this again!
Cathi Lough
Even my picky picky picky eaters said to put this in the selection rotation! Was very good!
Katherine Roppel
Do you use mild or sharp cheddar cheese? Also, I will look for a less sweet cornbread mix than Jiffy. Thanks!
Stephanie
I personally have a preference for sharp cheddar cheese.
Jennifer
Turned-out great! An easy, hearty meal that will last you for days. I baked the bottom layer of cornbread for 12 minutes to firm it up a bit before adding the beef, cheese, and corn. Only added half the creamed corn to the cornbread mix, and omitted it from the middle of the casserole. Added about a pound and a half of ground beef to make the meal a bit heartier. Thank you for this recipe!!
Dana
Can you use 2 cream corns instead of one & kernel corn?
Jennifer
Dana, I bet that would be too much moisture. Full disclosure: I’ve only utilized this recipe once.
Michelle Rendon
It was delicious, despite the middle being not thoroughly cooked. My fault though. I didn’t use 2 boxes of 8.5-ounce corn muffin mix. I used two 15 oz. boxes! Duh! Huge difference! I had to cook it 15 minutes longer, but the middle was still only slightly cooked. It was so good, my family ate it anyway. But I will try it again using the correct box amounts next time!
Donna
Do you drain the corn
Melissa
Awesome dish! I actually added a pound of chorizo sausage and instead of standard taco seasoning, I used chipotle taco seasoning on the ground beef!! It was a hit!!! Absolutely delicious!!!
Louise Smith
Been making this for over 40 years. I ALWAYS make it with a pound of bulk breakfast sausage rather than ground beef. Much tastier. I use regular rather than hot. It’s your choice.
Tracie
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Very filling and super easy to make.