Have ya ever had a craving for tacos? I sure have. Like, daily. Sometimes even twice a day. And that doesn’t include all those times that I would buy Taco Bell tacos and stick ’em in the fridge for breakfast and eat them icy cold. Look, I was pregnant. I considered cold tacos a delicacy. It’s the truth.
Anyway, I like tacos. My daughter likes cornbread. Sometimes she asks for cornbread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes she asks for a corndog just so she can eat all the corbread off the dog and then wave her hotdog around on the stick and shout about how it’s naked. Sometimes she makes me giggle.
Every now and then I like to make us both happy and serve this cornbread skillet. I usually call it cornbread pie though, because then my kids love me more. Pie for dinner means I’m the best mom ever. True story.
This is simple to whip up, but it does take a bit of time to bake. Totally worth it though, as most foods that contain taco meat, cheese, and green chiles are.
Mexican Cornbread Skillet
For the filling:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped (optional)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped (1/2 cup of salsa would be great if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or your own recipe for seasoning mix)
- drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle some olive oil in a large skillet and heat it over medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers for a few minutes and then add the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces just as you would for tacos. Cook until no longer pink and then drain. Stir in the tomatoes and taco seasoning. Remove from the heat and get to work on the cornbread.
For the cornbread:
- 1 3/4 cups cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/3 cups milk (buttermilk, if you have it!)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup corn (frozen or canned work, fresh is best!)
- 1 small can green chiles
- butter, for greasing the skillet
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a cast iron skillet with butter. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl crack the eggs and stir in the milk. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix in the corn and green chiles. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes to soften the cornmeal.
Pour half of the cornbread mixture into the bottom of your greased skillet. Spoon the meat mixture on top and cover with both cheeses. Spread on the remaining cornbread mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown and cooked through.
DessertForTwo says
Skillet cornbread is a go-to thing for me each week. I can’t wait to try this version! Thanks! 🙂
Cold tacos is probably the weirdest pregnancy craving I’ve heard to date 😉
Joanne says
Pie for dinner would probably make me the coolest roommate ever as well. And cold tacos don’t sound so crazy. I’ve seen my hungover friends eat much much worse. 😛 This looks delicious especially for a cornbread lover like myself!
Monica says
This looks delicious! Just curious, what is the benefit of buttermilk? What is different about it?
Erica Lea {Cooking for Seven} says
Your words make me smile. And you photos make want to dive right in.
Karly says
Monica,
Buttermilk actually has a bit less fat than regular milk making it healthier but with a richer taste. It also has a bit of a tangy flavor. (Tangy…is that a word or did I just make that up?) It’s acidic and tangy and yummy and delicious. The acid helps to make the cornbread a bit softer and more tender and it helps it rise. 🙂
Regular milk works just fine as well, but if you have buttermilk on hand give it a try! You can use it in just about any baking recipe in place of regular milk.
Karly
MaryEllen says
How large is the skillet you’re using? It sounds like a meal my family would love! Thanks!
Karly says
Mary Ellen,
It’s a 12 inch skillet. 🙂
Enjoy!
Karly
tom says
Do you have a way to print recipes? Otherwise I have to copy paste etc.
Michelle says
Sounds good to me. One more reason I need to get a cast iron skillet!
Brittany says
This is a really unique and delicoius-sounding recipe; so thanks for sharing. I love the golden colour. Why are skillet recipes always so good?!
Kelsi says
i’ve been looking for a mexican cornbread recipe that doesn’t use creamed corn (gives me the heebie jeebies) for a while now. This one looks so yummy.
Amy (Sing For Your Supper) says
This is almost identical to my recipe- one of our favorite meals!
thehealthyapron says
I can’t wait to try this! And I love that you made your own cornbread!
Rachael says
I don’t have a cast iron skillet….can I just put it in a 9×9 pan and bake it that way?
Rebecca says
What if you don’t like corn at all? Do you have to alter the other ingredients?
Karly says
I’d recommend trying a different recipe as this is a cornbread recipe.