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tamale and ground beef ranch casserole on a plate with sour cream on the side

Tex-Mex Ground Beef and Bean Casserole

Diana Rattray
This King Ranch-inspired Tex-Mex ground beef casserole is a delicious combination of ground beef, corn, and black beans, with cornmeal tamale layers. Serve it with chips or a salad for a delicious everyday meal.
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Servings 6 servings
Calories 594
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Butter or cooking spray, for greasing the pans
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Beef Filling

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 pound ground beef, lean
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided use
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • ½ cup chopped bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 (11-ounce) can corn, drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the cornmeal, 1 cup of water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir to blend. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until thickened. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Chill until solid.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels then crumble. Set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Brown the ground beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper; remove the ground beef to a plate and set aside.
  • Leave about 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the skillet, then place it back over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, corn, beans, cheese, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  • Remove the chilled cornmeal mixture from the refrigerator. Invert the pan on a flat surface to remove it in one piece. Cut it into 1 1/2-inch squares. Set aside 10 cornmeal squares for topping, then scatter half of the remaining squares in the bottom of the greased casserole.
    Top with half of the browned ground beef, half of the vegetable mixture, and crumbled bacon. Make another layer of cornmeal cubes, ground beef, another layer of vegetables, and bacon.
    Arrange the 10 reserved cornmeal squares around the edge of the baking dish.
  • Bake for 40 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 30gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 992mgPotassium: 432mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 716IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 230mgIron: 3mg

Disclaimer:

Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.

Keyword ground beef casserole, tamale casserole, tex mex casserole
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