Mexican Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
For the filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded and divided
1 cup salsa
For the cornbread topping:
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat on the stove top in a large skillet.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions, red bell pepper, and green bell peppers, and sauté until the onions are translucent, for about 3 minutes.
Add the ground beef, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon.
Sauté until the meat is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the frozen corn and cook until it is thawed, for about 1 minute. Turn off the stove top heat.
Add in 1/4 cup of the Mexican cheese blend, stirring until the cheese is melted.
Transfer the ground beef mixture to a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Top the ground beef mixture evenly with the salsa.
Whisk together the cornmeal, salt, baking powder, milk, and eggs, making sure everything is combined, but not over-mixing.
Pour the batter on top of the salsa and ground beef mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining Mexican cheese blend over the top of the cornbread batter.
Bake until the cornbread is cooked and the cheese is melted, for about 30-40 minutes.
