Taco Cornbread Bake

I was hesitant about making this, even with the changes, but I'm glad I did!  Everyone loved it.  For me, anyway, it has just the right amount of zip.  I like spicy foods, but sometimes you don't want to need a gallon of water with your dinner!  And you can alter the amount of zip by the kind of salsa you use.  We always get medium, but you can go hotter or cooler.  If that's not hot enough, add a can of diced green chili peppers.

I really thought it would be bland, but the salsa does the job.  This can be halved, if you don't live with eating machines like I do.  Of course, I forgot to get a picture till it was almost gone...*sigh*  I'll get my head out of my butt one day, I swear!

Taco Cornbread Bake

2 pounds ground beef
1t. dry oregano
1 1/2 C. salsa
2 16 oz cans tomato sauce
2 cans corn, drained
2 boxes cornbread mix and the ingredients to make them
2 C. shredded cheddar

Heat oven to 375.
Brown beef with oregano.  Drain.  Add salsa, tomato sauce, corn, and 1 C. cheese.
Pour into a 9 x 13" baking pan.
Mix cornbread mix with required ingredients.  Pour over meat mixture and spread evenly.  Top with remaining cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes.  Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before serving.

Dinner?

I am so sick of this miserable weather!  I got a pork roast out last night for dinner tonight then forgot to put it in the crockpot.  Good job.  So, ok, I'm flexible.  I got some chicken breasts out for a casserole.  They're still frozen, but I put them in a pot of water and cook them up that way since the recipe calls for cooked chicken.  Then I realize that I don't have the diced green peppers and without it, it's going to be pretty bland, but hubby took the car to work and left the truck, which I hate driving in bad weather.  It's a big honkin' truck and has no weight in the back, so it tends not to do well on slippery roads.  I call hubby at work and ask if he'll stop on the way home and pick up the peppers.  About an hour later, he calls back to say he may well be working over, so I may want to make something else.  *sigh* 

So I now have 3 things out for dinner!  If he does work late, we'll have a corndog casserole he loves and would probably prefer to either of the other choices!  It's not healthy, but it's quick, easy, and good.  I wish I had had it when my boys were small; they like it now, but would have loved it then!

I'll share the recipe now, and when I make it, whether tonight or two days from now, I'll post a picture.

Corndog Casserole


2 boxes cornbread mix (I use Jiffy)
1 pound hotdogs, sliced (sliced smoked sausage or little smokies work great, too)
2 C. shredded cheddar
1 C. milk
2 eggs
1 can creamed corn

Heat oven to 400
Mix cornbread, milk, eggs, and 1 cup cheddar.  When well blended, add hotdogs and stir. 
Spray a 9 x 13" baking pan with cooking spray
Pour cornbread mixture into prepared pan, top with remaining cheese, and bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

The cornbread is very moist because of the creamed corn and the extra 1/3 cup of milk (the directions on the box call for 1/3 cup per box).

So, I made the chicken casserole thing.  It's off the Progresso site for their recipe starters, something I normally don't use but wanted to try.  Not too impressed.  The casserole was good, but I made some changes and before I post it, I want to make it again, not using the recipe starter stuff.  If you want to look it up, it was the Cheesy Southwest Chicken Skillet.  I added a packet of taco seasoning to the meat because it sounded pretty bland, added about a half a cup of cheese to the whole mess, then poured it in a casserole dish, sprinkled more cheese on top and baked it at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Was pretty good, but like I said, I want to work on it without using the canned stuff.  It does have some bite to it, so if you're not big on spice, you may want to only use half a packet of the taco seasoning.