Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
When it comes to comfort food, Cornbread Cowboy Casserole checks all the boxes. It’s a satisfying dish with seasoned ground turkey, black beans, sweet bell peppers, and corn, all topped with a golden, cheesy cornbread crust that crisps up beautifully in the oven. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family on a busy weeknight or bringing a potluck dish, this casserole is a hit!
Cornbread Cowboy Casserole is a two-layered casserole with a savory ground turkey base, and a cheesy cornbread topping. It’s a winning dinner for sure, and the leftovers are simply yum! I love this one pan meal that is ready in minutes.
Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
What makes this casserole even more exciting is its versatility; you can easily make it your own. We like to set up a topping bar with sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, avocado, or a handful of crushed Fritos, and let everyone customize their plate. It’s a potluck favorite and after one bite of this savory-sweet combination, you’ll see why this dish has become a family favorite.
Why I love this recipe
- Great weeknight dinner.
- Fun for harvest parties or fall party potluck.
- Easy to transport in one pan to a party.
- Love the optional toppings you can serve with it.
Gather these ingredients
- Ground turkey
- Olive oil
- Sweet onion – diced
- Red bell pepper – diced
- Green bell pepper – diced
- Garlic – minced
- Taco seasoning
- Canned corn – drained
- Canned black beans – drained
- Can Rotel
Cornbread topping:
- Cornmeal
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Eggs
- Honey
- Unsalted butter – melted
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Optional toppings:
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Avocado
- Frito chips – small – crushed
- Green onions
- Jalapeno peppers
How to make Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add (to a large skillet over medium heat) the olive oil, sweet onions, red and green peppers and ground turkey and cook for 6-7 minutes. Cook until browned and the meat is cooked through. If needed, drain off any of the liquids.
- Stir in the Rotel, black beans (drained), corn (drained), and taco seasoning, and spread evenly in the casserole dish.
Make the cornbread:
- Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until fully combined.
- Combine (in a separate bowl) the milk, eggs, honey and butter. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine (don’t over-mix!). It’s better for the batter to be a bit lumpy than to over mix it.
- Add the cheese and gently fold into the batter, again, don’t over-mix.
- Spread the cornbread batter evenly with a spatula over the ground turkey base, to completely cover the meat.
- Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean. The cornbread should be golden brown and nice and crispy. It should not be soggy at all.
- Garnish with sprinkles of cilantro, and serve with sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce and enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- Swap out the black beans for pinto, kidney, or cannellini.
- Make it vegetarian: leave out the meat and add more beans and veggies.
- For the cornmeal: use whatever cheese (grated) that you need to use up in the fridge!
- Great potluck dish!
- Set up a topping bar for this dish and let everyone dress up their own serving!
Serving suggestions
Serve Cornbread Cowboy Casserole alongside a fresh green salad, soup, or Lime Cilantro Rice for a complete meal. Oh and don’t forget to serve Mexican Flan Cake for dessert!
Storage
Store any leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Check out these other classic casserole dishes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
Ingredients
Meat:
- 1 ⅓ lb ground turkey
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 oz taco seasoning
- 15.25 oz canned corn, drained
- 15.5 oz canned black beans, drained
- 10 oz can Rotel
Cornbread topping:
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Optional toppings
- cilantro
- sour cream
- salsa
- avocado
- green onions
- jalapeno peppers
- Frito corn chips, crushed
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, sweet onions, red and green peppers and ground turkey and cook for 6-7 minutes. Cook until browned and the meat is cooked through. If needed, drain off any of the liquids.
- Stir in the Rotel, black beans (drained), corn (drained), and taco seasoning, and spread evenly in the casserole dish.
Make the cornbread:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, honey and butter. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine (don’t over-mix!). It’s better for the batter to be a bit lumpy than to over mix it.
- Add the cheese and gently fold into the batter, again not over mixing.
- With a spatula, carefully spread the cornbread batter evenly over the ground turkey base, to completely cover the meat.
- Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean.
- The cornbread should be golden brown and nice and crispy. It should not be soggy at all.
- When ready to serve, garnish with sprinkles of cilantro, and serve with sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
