This one-skillet BBQ Beef Casserole with a cornbread dressing is SO good and very convenient for a quick weeknight dinner!
Casserole?! Yes, a casserole. Sorry, this one just has to be shared. I know a few people who have quite the aversion to casseroles. I really do not understand why as casseroles are usually easy to throw together (plus!) and they typically are big enough to feed a small crowd (double plus!).
However, there are some casseroles out there that are completely unappetizing, so I can relate there. I just don't get it when a friend tells me "ewww...I don't like casseroles" because all casseroles are completely different! So I think it's the concept of casseroles they don't like. You know, just throwing a bunch of ingredients together and eating them combined. Hey, if the combination fits, I'm all about it! 🙂
This BBQ Beef Casserole was given to us right after Judah was born. Our friends provided 3 weeks of meals for us and this was one of them. (We have amazing friends by the way!) If I remember right, I think the friend who gave us this meal originally found the recipe on AllRecipes.com. Unfortunately, I do not have a link to it, but she wrote it down for me as best as she could remember.
My mom was still visiting when we ate this BBQ Beef Casserole. She loved it so much that we had to make it again a few days later.
Tips for Making BBQ Beef Casserole
- You might be tempted to double the amount of cornbread, but don't! I did this before and it was an utter mess. It might seem like there is not enough dough, but when it bakes it creates a beautiful bloom of cornbread over the entire top of the casserole.
- I always use my 12-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe because it can go straight to the oven. It's the perfect size and I'm only dirtying the one skillet and a small bowl to mix up the Jiffy.
- Check this right at 15 minutes because it will probably be done by then! If it's golden, it's DONE.
- Use your favorite barbecue sauce, because you'll definitely taste the flavor.
This BBQ Beef Casserole is a wonderful dinner to serve to your family, and includes everything in one -- the veggies, meat and bread! Top it off with a yummy dessert, like my Oatmeal Lemon Cream Bars!
Recipe Card
BBQ Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ large onion , diced
- 1 (15.25 ounces) can sweet corn, drained
- 1 (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, partially drained
- ½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
- 1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup shredded cheddar or Mexican flavored cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Brown beef and onions in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. (I use my 12-inch cast iron skillet). Drain excess oil. Add corn and tomatoes. Cook until veggies are soft (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, using the 1 egg and ⅓ cup milk, mix the corn bread according to the package directions. Set aside to let rise for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the meat mixture from the heat and mix in BBQ sauce and cheese. If not using oven-proof skillet, pour into a 9x9-inch casserole dish. Spread the cornbread mixture evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown and passes the toothpick test.
Angie says
Followed the recipe almost exact. We didn’t have the jiffy corn bread so used a box of famous Dave’s. We also used Sweet Baby Rays original BBQ sauce. The whole thing turned out phenomenal!
Janet Bradley says
Do you think I could use a can of crushed tomatoes vs the diced ones?
Can't wait to make this casserole.
Thanks, Janet
Nikki Gladd says
I think that should work just fine! I haven't tested it, though, so can't say for 100% sure.
Gabrielle says
This casserole is wonderful! I’ve been making it for a few years now, and am just getting around to dropping a comment. I am making it again tonight, and I can’t wait! I make my own barbecue sauce. This casserole is always a winner with my husband as well.
Nikki Gladd says
Thank you, Gabrielle, for your feedback! I'm so glad y'all have been enjoying this casserole for years now. It's still one of my family's favorites, too! 🙂
Katie says
We made this today, I doubled the helpings, but you may want to notice if you're doubling it, you need 3 boxes of corn bread, two just didn't seem to do it. Thanks for this recipe though!
Viktorja says
Thank you for posting this casserole! I always find huge recipes for big families, but this is one of the very small handful I've found that is just for two <3
Lucinda says
This sounds good. I can't wait to try it. Hubby ia diabetic and can't eat a lot of things, but I belong to a group that has a potluck once a week, so get to try out all my new recipes on them.
natalie says
This was absolutely amaaaaazing! We're doing a potluck at work later in the week and I would love it if I could bring this in a crock pot and make it just as delicious as it would be cooked in the original method. Do you think this would be feasible?
Pennies on a Platter says
Hi Natalie,
Absolutely! I think this is how you should do it: Prepare the meat mixture the night before and store in the fridge in an air tight container overnight. Bring the container, crock pot, cornbread mix, eggs and milk with you to work. Also bring a mixing bowl and spoon to prepare the cornbread at work. Dump the meat mixture into the crock pot right away when you get to work and heat on low (covered) for 3 hours. Prepare the cornbread, set aside to rise for 3 to 4 minutes, then spread on top of the meat mixture. Cover and cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cornbread is cooked through. This should work perfectly and ready in time for lunch. Let me know how it works out! (You might want to try it out at home first!) 🙂
Nikki
ShoppingGlow says
Just added this to my menu for next week! Looks and sounds delish. I love casseroles, perfect for the work week. Makes a great lunch or dinner. Here's the AllRecipes.com version: https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Barbeque-Beef-Casserole/Detail.aspx
Memoria says
This is a better name than tamal/tamale pie. I made almost the same exact thing two days ago and blogged about it. it's so funny how many bloggers have the same gastronomic desires around the same time. What a great photo!
Bob says
I've never understood people who don't like casseroles either. I blame it on having had bad ones as kids. Cause really, casseroles can be *really* bad. This one looks amazing though, love the cornbread topping.
Liesl says
I love casseroles!! It such a great concept to me! This one looks amazing! I will have to try it out soon!
April says
Sounds a lot like a tamale casserole I've made a bunch-the ground beef in that one is seasoned to taste like taco meat (w/ some veggies thrown in) w/ a topping of corn bread-the corn bread has cheese and/or jalepenos in it. This one sounds really yummy too and I'll have to try it out!