What is it about taco meat and cornbread that makes for such a succulent, scrumptious pairing? Probably it’s because the natural sweetness and sunniness of the cornbread make a lovely contrast to the profoundly savory and spiced beef. The Taco Cornbread Casserole sandwiches delicious taco meat between layers of fluffy, golden cornbread with layers of olives and sour cream adding a distinct tang and new dimensions with even more flavor. Taco Cornbread Casserole will make taco night something exciting again!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 (1-ounce) envelopes taco seasoning
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup rice, cooked
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 2 (8.5-ounce) packages cornbread/muffin mix
- 1 (8.75-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups corn chips, divided
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
- lettuce, optional, shredded, to taste
- tomatoes, optional, chopped, to taste
- red onion, optional, chopped, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In Dutch oven, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink and break it into crumbles as it cooks, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 4 –Drain the fat from the Dutch oven.
Step 5 –Stir in the taco seasoning.
Step 6 –Add the canned tomatoes, the water, the rice, and the green chiles and heat through, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 7 –Prepare the cornbread mix according to the package directions.
Step 8 –Stir the corn kernels into the cornbread batter.
Step 9 –Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Step 10 –Layer 1/2 of the meat mixture on top of the cornbread batter layer in the baking dish.
Step 11 –Spread all of the sour cream on top of the meat layer in the baking dish.
Step 12 –Layer 1/2 of the corn chips on top of the sour cream.
Step 13 –Top the corn chip layer with 1 cup of the cheese.
Step 14 –Layer on the remaining batter, the remaining meat mixture, and the olives in the baking dish.
Step 15 –Bake, uncovered, until the cornbread is cooked through, about 55-60 minutes.
Step 16 –Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining corn chips and the remaining cheese and bake until melted, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 17 –Serve with the lettuce, the chopped tomatoes, and the red onion.
