BBQ Ground Beef Cornbread Casserole Recipe: Barbecue Flavor In Less Time by Donna John

Barbecued meats are a favorite in my house. But barbecuing can take hours and lots of steps, so we usually save it for the weekend. This barbecue ground beef cornbread casserole recipe made it where we can enjoy all the flavors we love, but in a fraction of the time. This BBQ beef casserole is the ultimate comfort food for barbecue lovers!

This hearty, flavorful casserole recipe has a simple cornbread crust and is topped with rich, smoky, sweet and saucy ground beef. Shredded cheese is added at the last minute so it stays melty, ooey and gooey. So delicious!

Here is your shopping list for this ground beef casserole recipe: a box of corn muffin mix, a can of cream-style corn, eggs, milk, ground beef, onion, barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, powder, onion powder, chili powder and cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese).

Use whatever type of barbecue sauce you like. Just keep in mind the type will affect the final tase of the casserole. I used a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. As for the cheese, I used half cheddar cheese and the other half was a Mexican blend. That's what I had in the cheese drawer. Any good melting cheese would be fine on top, from Monterey Jack to cheddar to Colby-Jack to pepper-jack.

Serve the beefy, cheesy high-protein casserole for dinner as-is or top it with traditional barbecue condiments like pickled jalapenos, pickles or chopped onions. For a side dish I served a simple salad, but cole slaw or potato salad would add that barbecue meal feel.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Cornbread Crust

• 8.5 ounces (1 box) corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
• 14 ounces (1 can) cream-style corn
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Ground Beef

• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef (I used 2 pounds)
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 3/4 cups barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

Here's how to make it: 

1. Whisk together the corn muffin mix, cream-style corn, eggs and milk in a bowl. (For a gluten-free dinner, use gluten-free corn muffin mix.)
   
2. Pour the mixture into a 13x9-inch baking dish that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for 20 minutes.
   
3. While the cornbread crust bakes, brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. (You could omit the onion, if desired.)
   
4. Drain off any fat. (I used a colander.)
   
5. Add the barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder.
   
6. Cook about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
   
7. Spread the meat mixture over the top of the cornbread crust. Put the casserole back into the oven and bake 15 minutes more.
   
8. Top with the shredded cheese and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese has melted.
   
9. Let the casserole sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
   
10. Serve as-is or top with chopped onions, jalapenos, pickles or whatever you like. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
    

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