Cornbread Taco Bake

Course Entree, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican Inspired, Southern

Keyword cornbread-taco-bake, jiffy-cornbread-taco-bake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Stand Time 5

Total Time 1 15

Servings Servings

Calories 419kcal

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Jiffy Muffin Mix, creamed corn, buttermilk, green chiles, eggs and green onions until fully combined. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese by hand.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet sauté chopped onion and ground beef over medium-high heat in a drizzle of oil.
Cook until no pink remains in the beef then drain any excess fat from the pan.
To the pan add taco sauce, taco seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper and granulated garlic. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the seasonings have dissolved and incorporated. Remove the pan from the heat.
Assemble the Cornbread: Pour 1/2 of the cornbread mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Using a tablespoon, drop the taco meat mixture evenly over the cornbread batter. Sprinkle meat with 1 cup shredded cheese. Pour the remaining cornbread batter evenly on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes then sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Continue to bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted, the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes back clean.
Let stand 5 minutes, then slice and serve garnished with fresh chives and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Protein – You can use ground turkey, chorizo or ground chicken in this recipe.
Cornbread Mix - Jiffy is a sweet cornbread. You can adapt this recipe using Martha White or another corn muffin mix that you enjoy.
Buttermilk - You can use 3/4 cup milk in place of buttermilk. To make your own, add 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir then proceed with the recipe.
Spices - For extra spice, add a dash or two of cayenne pepper to the taco meat.
Peppers – You could add jalapenos or poblano pepper to the ground beef to kick up the level of heat.
Cheese – You can adapt using a different variety of cheese. Use monterey jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese or spicy pepper jack cheese. You could also crumble queso fresco on top just before serving.
Condiments – You can serve this stuffed cornbread with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, salsa or pico de gallo.
Chives – You can garnish the top with green onions or cilantro.
Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe here.