An easy supper recipe with cheesy southwest flavors, our Skillet Turkey Cornbread Casserole is savory and scrumptious!
Classic Southern comfort food meets traditional taco taste in this Skillet Turkey Cornbread Casserole – a Mexican-inspired meal that comes together in a cast iron skillet using ground turkey, a boxed cornbread mix, onion, corn, black beans, cheese, salsa, and seasonings. It’s simple and spectacular!
A Casserole by Any Other Name
This recipe is called Skillet Turkey Cornbread Casserole for apparent reasons! But it could also be known as Mexican Cornbread Bake or Turkey Taco Skillet Surprise! Regardless of what you call it, this dish is uncomplicated, easy to customize, and delicious! Because it’s loaded with protein, veggies, and cornbread, it makes a great stand-alone dinner, but you could also serve it with a side salad, Mexican rice, corn on the cob, or refried beans. Enjoy!
Other Recipes to Serve with Turkey Cornbread Casserole
- Mexican Street Corn is simple, scrumptious and crunchy and fun to eat!
- This Southwest Quinoa Salad is loaded with fresh veggies and amazing flavor!
Ingredients
Protein: We’re using ground turkey for this skillet bake, but ground chicken or ground beef would also be delicious!
Cornbread: Use your favorite boxed (or homemade) cornbread mix here! Jiffy (2 boxes), Famous Dave’s, Trader Joe’s, etc.
Veggies: Frozen corn, black beans, and a chopped yellow onion bring substance and nutrition to this Mexican casserole. You can easily customize this recipe with additional ingredients like green onions, black olives, jalapenos, etc.
Cheese: Shredded cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend gives the flavor balance you want in a southwest supper.
Seasoning: A jar of your favorite salsa, along with cumin and chili powder, delivers the taco taste that totally pulls this recipe together!
How to Make Turkey Skillet Cornbread Bake
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. To a large cast-iron skillet, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Once it’s hot, cook the chopped onion and ground turkey with the cumin and chili powder until browned, stirring often.
STEP TWO: Once browned, add in the salsa, black beans (drained), and frozen corn. Stir to combine and heat thoroughly.
STEP THREE: While the turkey mixture cooks, mix up the cornbread according to the box instructions. Pour the cornbread mixture into the skillet and gently spread to cover the turkey mixture. Bake for 15 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Remove from the oven, top with shredded cheese and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Garnish with cilantro, parsley, or green onion and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Use Thanksgiving turkey (dice it) instead of ground turkey, and use up those leftovers!
- We love the ground turkey in this casserole, but you could also substitute lean ground beef or ground chicken.
- Alter this recipe and make it as a filling for stuffed peppers – the cornbread will bake right in the peppers, and the presentation is super fun!
- Top this casserole with your favorite Mexican ingredients, from cilantro and green onion to guacamole and sour cream.
- For a little kick, toss some diced green chiles or jalapenos into the mix, or use them as a garnish on top.
Can I Make Skillet Cornbread Casserole in Advance?
You can absolutely make this turkey casserole ahead of time…in multiple ways! The cornbread mix could be prepared and stored (uncooked) in the fridge, and the ground turkey could be cooked, cooled, and refrigerated. When you’re ready to make dinner, toss it all together and bake! You could also fully assemble the casserole, cover it, refrigerate it, and bake it the next day. OR…you could fully bake the entire skillet casserole, cool, cover, and reheat when it’s time to eat!
Can I Freeze Turkey Skillet Cornbread?
Yes, yes, yes! If you are making it to freeze, I would transfer the ground turkey to a casserole dish (instead of a skillet), complete the casserole (including baking). Allow it to cool, then cover the casserole completely with a layer of plastic wrap and a second layer of aluminum foil. This should freeze great for up to 3 months!
Other Easy Weeknight Casserole Recipes
- Cheddar Bay Chicken Bake
- Hamburger Casserole
- Cheesy Broccoli Ham Casserole
- Taco Mac & Cheese Pasta Bake
- Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
*This post originally posted on 08/21/2015.
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet (see note)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 12 ounces salsa
- 15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces cornbread mix plus ingredients to prepare
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, cook the onion with the turkey, cumin, and chili powder until browned, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
- Add the corn, salsa, and black beans to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Prepare the cornbread mix according to the package directions. Then pour the mixture evenly over the top of the turkey mixture and spread it out to cover the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the top of the cornbread and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Notes
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet available, transfer the turkey mixture to a 9×13 baking dish after cooking everything. Then pour the cornbread mixture over the top and continue as directed.
- Nutritional information is based on using Famous Dave’s original cornbread mix.
VA says
Made this last night. This is an AMAZING and very tasteful dish. I followed the recipe then added 4-5 cloves of garlic, garlic powder, 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper. My husband loved it! A keeper that I will make again.
D says
What size skillet did you use? Will a 12 in skillet work? Thanks.
Real Housemoms JK says
The 12 inch skillet should work just fine! Enjoy!
Tawny Greene says
Delicious, easy, and my Toddlers loved it!
Aubrey Cota says
Yay! Thank you so much.