Cornbread With Ground Beef Casserole

Corn the corner stone for many meals.So many of Mexican and Native American dishes are crafted on or designed to use the ancient vegetable known as Maze or corn. This casserole dish does exactly that. It uses yellow cornbread and whole corn kernels with ground beef, black olives, onions, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, salsa and chili powder to achieve a great southwest taste that celebrates the taste of corn. The moisture from the meat and cheese keeps the cornbread from being dry and what you end up with is a casserole that tastes very similar to an enchilada casserole only with beef, corn and of course cornbread! This dish is ideally suited to feed a lot of people. It can be prepared in a 13 x 9 x 2 in casserole dish and can feed 8-10 people. It can be served with a side salad, but it is ideally paired with Spanish rice. The reason that the two are so well paired is because they both have onions, black olives and chili powder.

Ingredients

Cornbread Mix

2 cups of yellow self rising cornbread mix

11/4 cups milk

1 large egg

1/4 Cup of vegetable oil or butter

Meat filling mixture

2 Lbs. ground beef

16 Oz of stewed tomatoes

3/4 Cup of chunky salsa

16 Oz. of can whole kernel corn

20 Med black olives sliced

2Tbs.olive oil

1 Medium onion chopped

5 Medium banana peppers

1 Tbs. Minced garlic

2 Cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 Tbs. chili powder

1/8 Tsp. salt

1/8 Tsp. pepper

Directions

Prepare the bottom layer. Prepare the cornbread mix by combining all of the cornbread mix ingredients: 2 cups of yellow self rising cornmeal mix,11/4 cups milk, 1 large egg, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil or butter into a blender and mix for about 20 seconds, to smooth out. Pour half of the mixture from the blender into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch casserole dish, spread it all over the bottom of the dish, then place it into an oven at 350 degrees for a 5-7 or until it is just barely set up(it doesn't move around when you tilt the dish). Then take it out and set it aside.

Preparing the meat filing. Put 2 table spoons of olive oil into a hot pan on medium heat. Add 2 pounds of ground beef, add 1/8 tsp of salt and pepper, then add the chopped banana peppers. Continue to brown and drain off the fat from the ground beef until it is half brown and then add chopped onions and 1 tables spoon of minced garlic. When the meat is completely brown and all fat is drained add a 3/4 cup of salsa and 16 oz. of stewed tomatoes. Next add the chopped black olives and 2 Tbs. of chili powder and 16 oz. of can corn. Cook until onions and peppers are tender and add one cup of cheddar cheese and spoon entire meat mixture evenly over bottom layer of cornbread in casserole dish.

Preparing the top & baking. Top with remaining cornbread mixture left in blender and top with 1 cup of cheddar cheese and place in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until brown. Wait 5 minutes and then serve! 

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