There’s something about a bubbling casserole with golden cornbread on top that just feels like comfort food. This one has a little Texas Girl Cooks spin with a Tex-Mex filling made with seasoned ground beef, poblano peppers, corn, tomatoes with green chiles and plenty of cheese.
The cornbread bakes right over the filling, so you get that soft, slightly sweet cornbread with the saucy beef and melted cheese underneath. Add sour cream, avocado or jalapeños on top and you’ve got an easy dinner that’s especially good once the weather finally starts cooling down around here.
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
Tex-Mex Beef Filling
1 lb ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
½ cup red enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican-blend cheese
Cornbread Topping
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 large egg
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Make the filling
Add the ground beef, onion and poblano to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking the beef into crumbles, until browned and the vegetables are tender. Drain excess grease.
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute.
3. Finish the Tex-Mex filling
Stir in the drained tomatoes with green chiles, corn and enchilada sauce. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, until everything is hot and the mixture has thickened slightly.
Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack evenly over the filling.
4. Make the cornbread topping
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and melted butter.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the cheddar cheese.
5. Assemble
Spoon the cornbread batter over the beef mixture and gently spread into an even layer. It’s fine if a little of the filling peeks through around the edges.
6. Bake
Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the topping comes out clean.
Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Optional Toppings
Sour cream
Sliced jalapeños
Diced avocado
Pico de gallo
Sliced green onions
Texas Girl Tip
Want a little more heat? Leave some of the seeds in the poblano or add a finely diced jalapeño with the onion. You can also add 1 (15 oz) can of Ranch Style Beans, drained, to the beef filling for an even heartier casserole. I like keeping the cornbread itself pretty classic so you get a fluffy golden layer over all that saucy, cheesy Tex-Mex filling.
Estimated Nutrition (Per Serving)
Based on 8 servings.
Calories: ~455
Protein: ~23g
Net Carbs: ~37g
Fat: ~23g
Fiber: ~3g
