This is one of those recipes that is so so tasty but also very much not cute. So if the photo freaks you out, don’t let it because it will be such a hit with the whole family.
My friend made a version of this when we went over for dinner over the holidays and I kept going back for more. It’s homey and comforting and full of flavor. It’s basically taco lasagna. Yum!
For a vegetarian version, you could do a mix of black and kidney beans to replace the meat and I bet it would be delicious (if you try that, let me know).
Ingredients:
– 1 lb ground beef
– 1 yellow onion, chopped
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 packet, taco seasoning (or mix chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder)
– 1 14oz can, fire roasted diced tomatoes
– 1 cup, cooked white rice (I used frozen!)
– 1 cup, water
– 1 small can, mild diced green chiles
– 1 cup, frozen corn
– 1 can, black beans (drained)
– 1 box, cornbread mix
– 1 cup, tortilla chips, crunched.
– Optional: Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican cheese blend), romaine lettuce, red onions, cilantro, avocado, salsa.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a large pot, sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute.
3. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it’s no longer pink. Crumble it up with a wooden spoon as you go. It should take about 10 minutes.
4. Mix in the taco seasoning followed by the tomatoes, rice, chiles, beans, water, and corn.
5. Mix the cornbread according to the directions on the box. Pour half of the batter into a greased baking dish. On top of that, layer the meat mixture followed by (optional) sour cream and the crunched up tortilla chips. If you’re using cheese, top that with cheese.
6. Then spread a very thing layer of the cornbread mix on top (I make cornbread muffins for the kids out of the remaining mix. If you add too much here it will be too cornbread-y and comes out dry which happened on my first go-round.
7. Bake the casserole, uncovered until the cornbread is fully cooked. It took me 45 minutes. Top with cheese and cook until it’s melted for another 5 minutes or so.
8. Serve with whatever toppings you like: avocado, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and salsa are what we used.
9. Enjoy!
Photo by Julia Dags.
