Mexican Cornbread Casserole
This Mexican cornbread casserole is an easy comfort food perfect for weeknight dinners. Sweet, savory, and loaded with meat and veggies, it’s ready in an hour and so easy to make!
Love cornbread? Try our jalapeno cheddar cornbread, healthy pumpkin cornbread, and maple cornbread, too.
Call us crazy, but we didn’t know what cornbread Mexican casserole was for years. Then, a friend shared the dish with us, and we fell in love. We knew we had to make our own!
So, we recreated the sweet, savory flavors using simple, “clean” ingredients. That means we don’t use oil or refined sugar, but the cornbread layer still tastes like the soft, sweet cornbread you know and love.
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Meat – We use ground turkey, but you can use ground beef, buffalo, or even venison, if preferred.
- Veggies – Onion and bell pepper add extra nutrients to the dish.
- Spices – Skip taco seasoning packets, and use ground chili powder, cumin powder, salt, and pepper for a savory flavor with lots of depth.
- Salsa – Use any salsa you like best.
- Cheese – Cheddar cheese is sprinkled on top for the ultimate comfort food dinner. Mexican blend cheese also tastes great!
- Optional Mix-Ins – We like to include corn and black beans for extra taste and texture.
- Cornmeal and Flour – This forms the base of the cornbread batter. We use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour to keep this cornbread Mexican casserole recipe gluten-free.
- Sweetener – We use monk fruit sweetener to keep this recipe low in sugar, but coconut sugar also works.
- Milk – We use unsweetened almond milk to lighten the batter slightly, but any regular or non-dairy milk will work.
- Greek Yogurt – This creates a rich, tender cornbread batter that stays nice and moist.
- Eggs – These bind the cornbread, helping it hold its shape.
Tip: Make this recipe even easier by using a boxed mix like Jiffy cornbread mix or a corn muffin mix.
How to Make an Easy Mexican Cornbread Casserole Recipe with Meat
- Brown the meat mixture. Brown the turkey in a skillet with the onions and bell peppers. Stir in the seasonings along with the corn and black beans (if using).
2. Combine. Add the salsa and spinach, and cook to wilt the spinach.
3. Prepare the cornbread layer. Whisk all the cornbread ingredients in a bowl, and spread them in an even layer in a greased baking dish.
4. Layer. Spread the ground meat mixture over the cornbread.
5. Add. Sprinkle the top with cheese.
6. Bake. Transfer the dish to the oven, and bake until the cornbread is fluffy and golden. Top with Greek yogurt or sour cream, salsa, diced tomatoes, olives, avocado, pico de gallo, or guacamole, and enjoy warm!
Common Questions
We serve this Mexican cornbread with meat as a main course, finding it plenty filling on its own. However, you can never go wrong with a side of refried beans, Mexican rice, or tortilla chips and salsa!
Once cool, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
Mexican Cornbread Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9×13 pan
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- 1 pound ground turkey, beef, buffalo, or venison
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Optional Add-Ins: 1 cup of corn and 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Cornbread Mixture
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
- 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
Topping
- 1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Meat Mixture
- Brown the ground turkey with diced onion and bell pepper. Once browned, mix in the chili powder, cumin, salt and black pepper. If using, add in the corn and black beans now.1 pound ground turkey, beef, buffalo, or venison, 1 onion, diced, 1 bell pepper, diced, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, Optional Add-Ins: 1 cup of corn and 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- Stir in the salsa and baby spinach. Cook over low heat until the spinach is wilted. Set aside1 cup salsa, 2 cups baby spinach
Cornbread Mixture
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add all the cornbread ingredients. Mi until combined. Pour the batter into the greased 9×13 baking dish.3/4 cup cornmeal, 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend, 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk, 2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, 1 egg, 1 cup shredded cheese
Assemble Casserole
- Top the cornbread batter with the meat mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese in melted and cornbread is baked. If desired, top with plain Greek yogurt, salsa, olives, or avocado when serving.
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you enjoy this Mexican Cornbread Casserole Recipe? We’d love it if you left a rating and review to let us know, and don’t forget to tag us in your recreations on Instagram!
This looks delish!!!
Is it possible to make this in advance, put in the fridge until it’s dinner time, take out so all ingredients can come to room temp, then cook?
Hi Ashley! I don’t think the cornbread batter will do well if made in advance. I think it would work better to make the meat mixture ahead of time and place that in the fridge. Then prep the dry cornbread ingredients in a bowl and leave at room temp. When you are ready to bake the casserole, take the meat mixture out of the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven and add the wet ingredients to the dry cornbread ingredients to make the cornbread batter. Then assemble the casserole and bake! I hope this helped!
This is so good!
Well, it turned out tasting great, and it looks good. Now I need to decide which is more photogenic, Sammi or the cornbread casserole!
John, flattery will get you everywhere. 😉 Thank you for taking time to leave such a kind comment. I am so glad you enjoyed the casserole! Happy Eating!
Very good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Leann! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience with me. Blessings!
I made this yesterday and it was a hit with my family!
I doubled the cornbread mixture and put a layer on top and bottom. I added corn and black beans and also diced zucchini, which was a great way to sneak in a vegetable that no one in my family particularly likes…it was about the same texture as the corn and they didn’t even notice!
Thanks!
That is so awesome, Brittany! I love how you added cornbread to the top and zucchini to the meat mixture. #gethealthygirl 🙂 You made my day with your sweet comment. There is nothing more a recipe blogger could ask for than others to love her recipes too. Thanks so much girl!
This recipe is making me hungry! It looks so tasty 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party! We hope to see you back tonight 🙂
Your Mexican Cornbread Casserole looks delicious, we will just love it! Hope you have a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Miz Helen
I appreciate your kind words, Miz Helen! It is definitely a frugal and delicious family meal 🙂
This sounds amazing! Something my entire family will love!!