Cowboy Dinner

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
Beef Mixture:
2 pounds lean ground beef (I had less - more like 3/4 pound and it was plenty)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels (or 1 can if that's what you've got)
1 1/2 cups salsa (jarred or homemade) (I used Pace Thick 'n' Chunky Salsa - mild because that's all they had at the store)
1 can (15 ounce) black, pinto or white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cornbread Topping:
½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cups milk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef and onion, adding the salt and pepper, over medium-high heat until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the pan. Stir in the corn, salsa, and beans. Pour the beef mixture into the prepared 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.

For the cornbread, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, beaten eggs and milk. Whisk together until just moistened and no dry spots remain.

Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture (or as per a suggestion in the comments on Mel's site - mix the cheese into the cornbread batter - that's what I did and it was kinda fun) and pour the cornbread batter over the cheese and beef mixture. Gently spread the cornbread to the edges of the pan, evening it out over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 40-45 minutes (35 for me) until the edges are bubbly and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:
I have mentioned this recipe before when I made Tamale Pie back in the day and I got another hankering for it this week, so I decided to try this version.  Man, like Laurel, I like both.  They're similar, but definitely not the same, so I think I'll keep both of them in my stash.  And, as per Laurel's suggestion, I think I'll try this on a camping trip sometime in the Dutch oven.  Sounds mighty fine to me.  This makes a lot, which was nice for leftover lunches.  And I really meant to take a picture, but we just gobbled up the last of it and I never pulled out  my camera - whoops!