Southwestern Casserole With A Sweet Corn Crust – Who doesn’t like a casserole, right? We all have those days when we have to be creative with what we have on hand. This easy casserole combines spicy Southwestern flavors with a sweet cornbread topping.
Most of the ingredients in this dish are pantry shelf items, but when they’re combined with fresh toppings, it completes this one dish meal. I prepared this in a 7 x 11 inch dish, which made the sweet corn crust a bit thinner. If your family enjoys a thicker crust, use an 8×8 dish. This dish is flexible and stick to your ribs good!
Southwestern Casserole With A Sweet Corn Crust
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the casserole you'll need:
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 [1.25 oz] pkg taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 [14.5 oz] can chili style tomatoes
- 4 oz onion and chive cream cheese
- 1 cup Mexican corn well drained
- 1 3/4 cup nacho flavored tortilla chips crushed & divided
- 2 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Jack or Mexican cheese blend divided
- Assorted toppings: cilantro sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, salsa, jalapeno pepper slices
- For the sweet corn crust:
- 1 [8.5 oz] box yellow corn muffin mix
- 1/2 cup cream style corn
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 7 x 11 inch baking dish with cooking spray, set aside. In a large stove top pan over medium high heat, saute the diced onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until translucent.
- Add the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Cook the ground beef until no pink remains then drain any excess fat from the pan.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, taco seasoning, water and chili style tomatoes. Turn the heat to medium high and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down.
- Add the cream cheese to the pan. Stir until the cream cheese has completely melted into the beef mixture, then add the corn niblets. Stir well. Remove from the heat.
- To make the sweet corn crust: In a small mixing bowl, stir together the muffin mix, 1/2 cup of buttermilk and 1/2 cup of cream style corn. The mixture will look lumpy.
- To assemble the casserole: Sprinkle 1 cup of crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of the dish. Pour the ground beef mixture over the chips and sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Use a tablespoon and dollop the sweet corn crust batter over the beef mixture and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining crushed tortilla chips on top and place into the oven.
- Bake for 22 minutes, then sprinkle the last cup of cheese on top.
- Return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts or a toothpick inserted into the corn crust comes out clean.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
Melissa
Hi, thanks for stopping by to visit my website My name is Melissa, I’m a busy Mom, author, recipe developer, photographer, food writer and blogger. I’m passionate about creating delicious dishes to share with family and friends!
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