Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Best Cowboy Cornbread – This easy recipe puts a fun spin on classic Jiffy cornbread casserole by loading it with Rotel chilies, southwestern spices, and LOTS of shredded cheese for a rootin’ tootin’ Tex Mex-style side dish that everyone loves!
Why We Love Cornbread Casserole Recipe
Well howdy, partners! If you’re looking for an easy recipe that will add big flavor to the dinner table, then you’ve mosied over to the right post. This Cowboy Cornbread Casserole recipe is a bold and zesty side dish that everyone will love. First off, let’s clear up a few things…
What is cornbread casserole? It’s a fabulous side dish made with cornbread but incorporates extra moisture to make it super soft, as well as corn kernels, onions, cheese, and other herbs and spices. Cowboy cornbread casserole offers the same dense and tender texture of classic simple cornbread casserole yet with vibrant Tex-Mex flavors, such as whole corn kernels, Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, scallions, cheese, and chili spices.
Cornbread casserole can be picked up and eaten by hand or eaten with a fork. It is super soft but does hold together when you pick it up.
This customizable recipe is made with store-bought Jiffy cornbread mix, so it’s super simple to whip up and pop in the oven and is a great addition to any meal!
Ingredients You Need
- Jiffy Cornbread Mix – our favorite iconic box cornbread mix
- Butter – unsalted, melted
- Sour cream – for a moist and deliciously tangy cowboy casserole
- Eggs – room temperature is best
- Canned sweet corn – drained
- Canned Rotel tomatoes and chiles – with the juices
- Cheddar cheese – shredded
- Scallions – chopped green onions
- Spices – chili powder, cumin, pepper
How to Make Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and grease the sides and bottom with butter or cooking spray.
Set out a large mixing bowl. Dump the cornbread mix, melted butter, eggs, and sour cream into the mixing bowl.
Stir well to incorporate.
Then mix in the sweet corn, Rotel with juices, shredded cheddar cheese, scallions, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated into the cornbread batter.
Spread the mixture out into the prepared baking dish.
Get the Complete (Printable) Cornbread Casserole Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Bake the cornbread cowboy casserole for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted deep into the center comes out clean.
Recipe Variations
- Sour cream – swap with greek yogurt for a lighter cornbread
- Gluten- free – use Jiffy’s gluten-free cornbread mix for a GF-friendly casserole recipe
- Spicy – add heat to the casserole by using spicy Rotel chilies and shredded pepper jack cheese
- Meat – fold in cooked and cooled ground beef, ground turkey, or chorizo before pouring the batter into the baking pan
- Add-ins – add red bell pepper, canned (drained) beans like kidney beans or pinto beans, diced red onion, or even pickled jalapeno to the cornbread mixture.
Serving Suggestions
Cowboy-style Jiffy cornbread casserole is the perfect side with your favorite Southern and Tex-Mex main dishes!
Serve warm hunks of loaded cornbread with large bowls of steak chili, cheesy chicken chili, or creamy white chicken chili. It’s also delicious alongside pollo asado (Mexican grilled chicken), saucy brisket burnt ends, chipotle chicken skewers, instant pot baby back ribs, or other meaty dishes.
This simple recipe is great to make a hearty side dish for a vegetarian meal, too! Pair with instant pot black bean soup, Mexican sopa de fideo (noodle soup), and chunky vegan chili.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using sour cream adds just the right amount of moisture to the cornbread. Overbaking can also cause Jiffy cornbread to crumble. Check for doneness on the low end of the cook time, and pull the casserole out as soon as an inserted skewer no longer has batter on it.
There are several dairy ingredients in this dish, and it should therefore be kept in the refrigerator after cooling.
Keep cooled leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, cowboy cornbread freezes very well! Let it cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or wrapping the freezer-safe dish with plastic wrap. Add a layer or two of aluminum foil for extra protection. Freeze the casserole for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
Looking for More Crowd-Pleasing Casserole Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
- Cowboy Chili Lasagna
- Cheesy Hominy Casserole
- Easy Meatball Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 2 – 8.5 ounce boxes Jiffy Cornbread mix
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 15 ounce can sweet corn drained
- 2 – 10 ounce cans Rotel tomatoes and chiles with juices
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and grease the sides and bottom with butter or cooking spray.
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Dump the cornbread mix, melted butter, eggs, and sour cream into the mixing bowl. Stir well to incorporate.
- Then mix in the sweet corn, Rotel with juices, shredded cheddar cheese, scallions, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Spread the mixture out into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
I made this last night and it is YUMMY!!
this cornbread was magical, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
This was such a fun spin on cornbread! Added just enough while still leaving it with such a good cornbread flavor!
I’ve always made sweet cornbread, but this was such a tasty twist! So yummy with the hint of spice and of course the cheese.
Just made this casserole, and it’s fantastic! Rich and creamy with a perfect balance of sweetness from the corn and a kick of flavor from the tomatoes and spices. Delicious!