This super Easy Corn Bread Crusted Taco Pie recipe starts with a golden corn bread crust that's topped with a beefy taco filling and smothered with plenty of Colby jack cheese. Add your favorite taco fixings before serving then slice and enjoy a festive piece of taco pie for dinner.
Easy Corn Bread Crusted Taco Pie Recipe
My family is just like yours, they love any Tex-Mex, Mexican or Southwestern inspired food and never get tired of eating it. Taco pie isn't exactly a new idea, but I wanted to show you a quick way to make one that's especially suited for a busy day. If you make the whole recipe in one fell swoop, you'll spend around 30 minutes. If you make the filling in advance, you can have this ready in 20 minutes. The prep moves along quickly because the cornbread crust isn't terribly thick and you begin the process on the stovetop.
How to Make the Best Cornbread Crusted Taco Pie Recipe
You can serve this to savory beef taco pie with any and all of your favorite taco toppings. I usually have nearby shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes or homemade pico de gallo, sliced jalapenos and guacamole so everyone can build their own. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream or homemade cilantro lime crema like this recipe from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen, and you'll have a no fuss fiesta-style meal in a snap.
- Ingredients you'll need to make this recipe for homemade Taco Pie: Corn muffin mix, onion, garlic, melted butter, lean ground beef, Rotel Chili Fixin's or classic Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, salt and black pepper, taco seasoning, ground cumin, lemon pepper, shredded Colby jack cheese and chive and onion cream cheese.
- This crust of this taco pie is best made with a cornbread mix that isn't terribly sweet.
- Please note, the cornbread pie crust is baked separately from the beefy taco topping. Once assembled, it goes back into the oven to melt the cheese making this a quick and easy weekday meal option.
- To make the crust and speed up the process, melt the butter and heat the cast iron skillet on the stovetop first. Next, pour the batter over the melted butter. Place the skillet into the oven to bake while you prepare the taco beef topping on the stovetop. Once the crust has baked, spread the taco beef over the crust, sprinkle with cheese and pop back into the oven to bake for another 8 minutes. There you have it, dinner in no time flat.
- You could easily adapt this recipe using pepper jack cheese or shredded cheddar cheese in the same amount.
- I bake this taco pie in a cast iron skillet for the way it browns the crust. You could use any similar size oven safe skillet, pie dish or baking dish.
- To expedite assembly make the ground beef taco filling in advance and chill. It also freezes up to 2 months for make ahead meal prep.
- Store leftover cornbread rusted taco pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in individual portions in the microwave.
More Southern Style Cornbread Recipes to Make
Cornbread forms the crust of this taco pie and it's a classic match made in heaven. More cornbread recipes you may like to try:
- Individual size Cornbread Muffins to go with soup, pinto beans, chili and game day eats.
- My Broccoli Cheddar Cornbread Muffins will have the kiddos eating their veggies and loving it!
- Hot Water Cornbread is a humble dish that uses basic pantry ingredients to make.
- Chicken Taco Green Chile Cornbread is a complete meal made in a cast iron skillet.
- Turn garden fresh zucchini onto this Zucchini Bacon Cornbread recipe.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Easy Corn Bread Crusted Taco Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 7.5 oz package yellow corn muffin mix, plus milk to prepare
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ lb lean ground beef chicken or turkey
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 10 oz can Rotel Chili Fixins
- 3 tablespoon quality taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
- 4 oz chive and onion cream cheese softened
- 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop. Melt the butter in the pan and swirl to coat the sides.
- Meanwhile, mix corn muffin mix with the amount of milk called for on the package. Mix until fully moistened then pour into the hot skillet. Place into the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
- While the cornbread bakes, cook the onion in a couple of drizzles of olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add ground beef to the pan. Cook until no pink remains. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. (The amounts may vary depending on the sodium content of the taco seasoning used} Drain any excess fat from the skillet. Add Rotel tomatoes, taco seasoning, cumin and lemon pepper. Simmer over medium-high until well blended.
- Add the softened cream cheese to the filling, stir until melted through.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Spread the taco meat over the corn bread and top with the remaining cheese.
- Place back into the oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes just until the filling is heated through and cheese has melted.
- Serve with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, pico de gallo, jalapeno pepper slices, guacamole and sour cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Jane Pate
Do you use the whole package of cornbread mix? Sounds like a lot of cornbread.
Melissa
Yes, you use the entire package.
Sheryl
Melissa, I saw this on Facebook and couldn't WAIT to make it. It did not disappoint. Thank you so much for such a wonderful family recipe, we loved it!
Melissa
Thanks Sheryl!
Anne L.
The great thing about this taco pie, apart from the flavor is the fact I can make the meat part ahead of time. My family loves it and sometimes I use ground turkey or chicken, too. Awesome recipe!
Melissa
You're so right, love it with different protein choices, thanks!
Sara
I don’t have a cast iron pan. How can I adapt the recipe?
Melissa
You can bake this in any similar size oven safe skillet or baking pan.
Lynne carey
Most cornbread calls for an egg. If so should that be used?
Sounds delicious!
Thank you!
Melissa
If the brand of cornbread mix you choose to use calls for egg, you can. Otherwise, follow the recipe.
Rosemarie
Easy prep and the results were very good. Will make again. Minor adjustments made, didn’t have Rotel on hand so used chunky salsa and no corn muffin mix. Knew I had a box but must have used it. Mixed that up from scratch. Nice version of tacos. 😊 thanks.
Melissa
Thanks so much!
Virginia
So you use for rotel chili fixings, plus taco seasoning?
Melissa
Please follow the recipe as written and you'll be good to go.
Cathy Doherty
I will make my own cornbread from scratch. The box stuff is sweet.
Carol
This was outstanding! We all liked it a lot, husband said make this one again! I followed the directions to a t. I had no idea Rotel made a chili fixin product, sure enough Walmart had it with the other Rotal products. Another hit from your recipes! Thank you, Carol
Melissa
Hi Carol, I'm so happy you loved this one. That's exactly where I buy it, and it adds such a great flavor to this easy pie. Thanks so much!
Brenda
What is Rotel Chili Fixinga?
Melissa
It's a type and flavor of rotel tomatoes. If you can't find it, use another brand in the same amount or salsa.
Melissa
While I love tortilla chips leaving out the cornbread crust turns this into a different dish altogether. It sounds as if you were in the mood for nachos.