Easy Cast Iron Mexican Cornbread Casserole Recipe
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This cast iron taco cornbread casserole is everything you need for a quick meal. Use up that canning pantry and the dry good storage! This mixture of beans, ground beef, salsa, and taco spices, topped with a fresh milled cornbread is stick to your ribs good and your whole family is sure to love it any night of the week. Feel free to make this recipe your own, and if you enjoy spicy food, get crazy and add green chiles to the ground beef mixture, top the cornbread with fresh jalapenos, or use different beans that you love, like black beans! Bake and serve with your favorite taco toppings for an easy, one pan meal. I really enjoy concocting new recipes that become an easy dinner recipe staple!
​Equipment You Will Need:
- large cast iron skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Grain mill
Ingredients:
- ground beef
- home canned sweet corn
- kidney beans
- taco seasoning mix
- home canned salsa
- salt & pepper
- fresh milled soft white wheat or AP flour
- fresh milled popcorn or cornmeal
- sugar
- baking powder
- goat milk
- sour cream
Let’s get to cookin’
Step 1: Preheat your Oven
This recipe doesn’t take long to come together, so have your oven preheating while you work to 350 degrees F.
Step 2: Brown the Ground Beef
To a preheated cast iron pan (heat your pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes), add a little tallow, then add 1 pound of ground beef and break apart and cook the ground beef until browned. Drain excess grease if needed (our home grown beef never needs this step).
Step 3: Assemble the Filling
To the browned ground beef, add in 1 pint of drained sweet corn, 1 pint kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 2 Tbs taco seasoning (adjust this to taste), 1 pint home canned salsa, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and use a spatula to smooth mixture around pan into an even layer. Be sure and taste the filling and adjust seasoning and add more spices if desired, like ground cumin, chili powder, or cilantro. You could also substitute the beans for any type of beans you like; pinto beans, black beans, etc. Salsa can be substituted for a pint of rotel tomatoes if that’s what you enjoy!
Step 4: Mix up the Cornbread Topping
To a large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup fresh milled soft white wheat, 2/3 cup fresh milled popcorn, 3 Tbs sugar or honey if you desire (I don’t add this but I know some folks like a sweet cornbread), and 1 Tablespoon baking powder. Whisk together the dry ingredients with a dough whisk.
Into a small food processor, add the other pint of canned sweet corn with about 1/2 cup of reserved liquid from the jar. Pulse until it resembles creamed corn, but isn’t completely pureed. If you can your own cream style corn, use that and bypass this step! Mix in 2 tablespoons of goat milk and 4 tablespoons of sour cream.
Add wet ingredients to the dry cornmeal mixture, and stir until combined.
Layer the cornbread topping over top of the ground beef layer. Smooth with a spatula into an even, single layer. Feel free to top with sliced black olives or fresh jalapenos.
Step 5: Bake
Place skillet into preheated oven and bake until cornbread is golden brown and done in the center, about 30 minutes in my oven. Test the center with a toothpick, when it comes out clean it is done! This all depends on the size of your pan and the thickness of the cornbread layer.
Step 6: Serve
When finished baking and cornbread tests done, remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, some freshly shredded pepper jack cheese, and your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy! Store leftovers in an air tight container.
Notes
You can substitute the kidney beans with a can of pinto beans, red beans, black beans, etc. Use what you have and/or like.
Instead of adding taco seasoning, add a quart of my home canned chili beans for a different flavor profile. I mix sharp cheddar cheese into the cornbread with some candied jalapenos and bake it and it tastes heavenly.
Any ground meat you preferred can be used instead of ground beef. Ground turkey or venison would be delightful! I’ve also used shredded chicken I canned.
A cornbread mix, such as a box of jiffy corn muffin mix, can be used to top this casserole. Just make it according to package directions and top the casserole. It won’t be as good as homemade but it’ll do!
Enjoy!
Easy Cast Iron Mexican Cornbread Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 12" Cast Iron Skillet
- Grain Mill one that is good for grinding popcorn
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 pints sweet corn divided
- 1 pint kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2-4 tbsp taco seasoning mix to taste
- 1 pint salsa
- salt & pepper to taste
Cornbread Topping
- 1/2 cup fresh milled soft white wheat or AP flour
- 2/3 cup fresh milled popcorn or cornmeal
- 3 Tbs coconut sugar optional
- 1 Tbs baking powder
- 2 Tbs goat milk
- 4 Tbs sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- To a preheated cast iron pan with a little oil, add ground beef and break apart and cook til browned. Drain if excessively greasy (our home grown beef is not).
- Add in 1 pint of drained sweet corn, 1 pint drained & rinsed kidney beans, taco seasoning, salsa, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and use a spatula to smooth mixture around pan into an even layer.
- In a mixing bowl, add fresh milled flour, cornmeal, sugar if you want it, baking powder, goat milk, and sour cream.
- Into your food processor or blender, add 1 pint of sweet corn with about half the liquid from the jar and pulse until it resembles creamed corn-ish. Mix in goat milk and sour cream.
- Pour the creamed corn mixture into your dry cornmeal mixture. Stir until incorporated.
- Spoon cornbread topping mixture on top of meat and bean mixture in cast iron pan. Spread out into an even layer.
- Place skillet into preheated oven and bake until cornbread is golden and done in the center, about 30 minutes in my oven. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean This all depends on the size of your pan and the thickness of the cornbread layer.
- Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then serve topped with sour cream and your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute your favorite ground meat here. Venison would be delicious.
- If you have creamed corn canned, use a pint of that instead of blending the canned sweet corn for the cornbread layer.
