March 30, 2021

Skillet Beef and Cornbread Casserole

Ground beef, beans and vegetables cooked in a well seasoned sauce, then topped with cornbread and cheese. This Skillet Beef and Cornbread Casserole is a hearty meal that comes together quickly!

Skillet Dinners

Dinners made in a cast iron skillet are one of my favorite things. First, you can sautee on the stove and then transfer the skillet to the oven. I’m never sad about less dishes to clean. And second, I like the looks of the dinners. Sure, food aesthetics are not all that important, but it never hurts.

In college I had a cookbook that included a recipe for a slow cooker beef and cornbread casserole. I thought about that recipe recently and decided to put my own spin on it, and cook it in a skillet, given my affinity for skillet dinners.

If you’re looking for other dishes made in a skillet, check out these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:

Mild Blackened Skillet Chicken
Cast Iron Yeast Rolls
Reverse Seared Roast
Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

Skillet Beef and Cornbread Casserole

Meat

For this recipe I used ground beef. However, you could substitute almost any ground meat with good results.

If you want a lower calorie option, you could consider using ground chicken or turkey.

Vegetables and Beans

This casserole contains the following vegetables and beans:

Chopped Green Chiles
- Use the canned variety. They may be found with the canned vegetables or in the Mexican food section of your grocery store.
Chunky Salsa
- Yes, not technically a vegetable, but it has tomatoes, so I’m calling it a veggie here. Make sure you use a brand you like.
Yellow Corn
- For this recipe, I used frozen corn, which does not need to be thawed. But, you may also use canned corn. Just make sure to drain the can.
Diced Tomatoes with Chiles
- This comes in a 10.5 ounce can. Drain the excess liquid from the can.
Black Beans
- Use a 15.5 ounce can of black beans. The beans should be rinsed and drained.
Dark Red Kidney Beans
- Use a 15.5 ounce can of dark red kidney beans. The beans should be rinsed and drained.

Spices and Flavor

The base of this casserole has a great flavor that comes in large part from the following:

Chilli Powder
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Coriander
Enchilada Sauce
Cilantro

Topping

My favorite part of this casserole is the cornbread topping! Use an 8 1/2 ounce package of corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy), with:

2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk

Spoon it over the filling and bake it for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend over the top of the corn muffin mix and bake until the cheese is nice and melted, about 3-4 minutes.

This Skillet Beef and Cornbread Casserole is hearty, warm meal that the whole family will love. Quick to put together, it’s great for a busy weeknight.

Skillet Beef and Cornbread Casserole

Ground beef, beans and vegetables cooked in a well seasoned sauce, then topped with cornbread and cheese. This Skillet Beef and Cornbread Casserole is a hearty meal that comes together quickly!

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Course: Dinner

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 553

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Ingredients

Filling

1 pound ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1 15.5 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
1 15.5 ounce can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles excess liquid drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon chilli powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

1 8 1/2 ounce package corn muffin mix
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Heat a large cast iron skillet on stove top over medium-high heat. Add ground beef that is seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until beef is browned and cooked through.
Stir in salsa, black beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes with chiles, corn, enchilada sauce, green chiles, cilantro, chilli powder, cumin, coriander and salt.
Reduce heat to a simmer. Let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 10 minutes.
While mixture is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the two eggs. Then stir in milk and corn muffin mix.
After mixture in oven has cooked for 15 minutes, carefully remove skillet from oven and taking care not to touch the hot skillet, spread corn muffin mixture evenly over top of meat and beans.
Return skillet to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Next, sprinkle cheese over cornbread. Bake until cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from oven. Serve warm.