Make Mexican Vegetarian Cheese Jiffy Corn Bread Casserole in 30 Minutes

Okay, confession time. I used to be one of those people who thought “30-minute meals” were just marketing fluff. Like, who actually makes real food that fast? Turns out, me now. This mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole happened by accident when I was craving Mexican food but had zero energy to actually cook anything complicated. Now I make this mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole at least twice a month.

I threw together what I had in my pantry – some Jiffy mix, leftover cheese, a can of black beans – and somehow created this amazing layered situation that my kids actually fought over. Not gonna lie, I felt pretty smug watching them devour vegetables without complaining for once.

Why This Actually Works (Unlike My Other Kitchen Experiments)

Look, I’ve had my share of Pinterest fails. Remember that cauliflower pizza crust disaster of 2019? We don’t talk about that. But this mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole? This one’s different.

Here’s what makes it foolproof:

• The Jiffy mix does most of the work (no shame in shortcuts)
• Everything cooks at the same temperature and time
• Kids think they’re eating cornbread, adults know they’re getting vegetables
• Tastes way fancier than the 10 minutes of prep it actually takes

My neighbor Sarah tried making this mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole after I brought some over when her husband had surgery. She texted me at 7 PM saying “Why didn’t you tell me this was so easy??” Because apparently I forgot that not everyone grew up with a mom who considered opening two cans “cooking from scratch.”

Mexican Vegetarian Cheese Jiffy Corn Bread Casserole

This cheesy, satisfying Mexican Vegetarian Jiffy Corn Bread Casserole is loaded with pantry staples like beans, corn, tomatoes, and taco seasoning — layered between golden cornbread and bubbling melted cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights or make-ahead meals.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Casserole, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired, Vegetarian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 420 kcal

Equipment

• Oven
• Mixing bowls
• 9×13 Baking Dish
• Spoon or Spatula

Ingredients

  

Cornbread Batter

• 2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix (the blue box, not the honey one)
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk (any kind)

Filling and Cheese

• 1 can black beans 15 oz, drained
• 1 can corn 15 oz, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 oz, drained well
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Other

• 2 tbsp olive oil for greasing pan

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
• In a mixing bowl, combine Jiffy corn muffin mix, eggs, and milk. Stir until batter is smooth.
• Pour half the batter into the greased baking dish and spread evenly.
• In a separate bowl, mix black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and sour cream to create the filling.
• Spread the filling mixture evenly over the cornbread batter in the dish.
• Top with shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Dollop and spread the remaining cornbread batter over the cheese layer. It’s okay if it doesn’t fully cover the cheese.
• Bake for 18–20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and no longer jiggles in the center.
• Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Use pre-shredded cheese for convenience. Swap Monterey Jack for more cheddar if needed. Greek yogurt works in place of sour cream. Taco seasoning can be replaced with a blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and paprika.

Keyword cornbread casserole, jiffy mix recipes, vegetarian mexican casserole

The Comfort Food We All Need Right Now

There’s something about cornbread that just fixes things, you know? Maybe it’s the way it smells when it’s baking, or how it turns golden and crispy on top but stays soft underneath. This mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole hits that same spot, but with more interesting flavors than regular cornbread.

It reminds me of those church potluck casseroles from when I was a kid, except with better ingredients and less mystery meat. Perfect for when it’s cold outside and you want something that feels like a hug on a plate. My teenager actually put down his phone to eat this, which honestly might be the highest compliment possible.

What You Need (Most of It’s Probably in Your Pantry)

The beauty of this mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole is that you don’t need to make a special grocery run. I keep most of these ingredients around anyway because they’re useful for other stuff too. When I’m making this mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole, I basically just raid my pantry.

Shopping list:

• 2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix (the blue boxes, not the honey one)
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk (whatever kind you have)
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 can black beans (15 oz), drained
• 1 can corn (15 oz), drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), drained well
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Pro tip: I always buy the pre-shredded cheese for this. Yes, it’s more expensive. No, I don’t care. Life’s too short to grate cheese when you’re trying to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

If you don’t have Monterey Jack, just use more cheddar. Can’t find taco seasoning? Mix some cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Greek yogurt works instead of sour cream if you’re trying to be healthy (good for you).

Time Management That Actually Works

Here’s the thing about timing – this mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole really does take 30 minutes, but only if you don’t get distracted by your phone or decide to reorganize your spice cabinet halfway through (speaking from experience).

• Prep: 10 minutes (opening cans, mixing stuff)
• Bake: 20 minutes at 400°F
• Total: 30 minutes exactly

The difficulty level is basically “can you open a can and stir things?” If you can make boxed mac and cheese, you can make this mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole. I’ve taught my 12-year-old to make it, and now he thinks he’s Gordon Ramsay.

You can totally make this ahead too. Throw it together in the morning before work, stick it in the fridge, then bake it when you get home. Just add maybe 5 more minutes since it’ll be cold.

How to Actually Make This Thing

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13 pan with some olive oil or cooking spray – whatever you have.

Mix up your cornbread batter using both boxes of Jiffy, the eggs, and milk. Don’t overthink it. Stir until it looks like cornbread batter. Done.

Pour half the batter into your pan and spread it around. It doesn’t have to be perfect – we’re not entering a baking competition here.

Now for the fun part. Mix your black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and sour cream in a bowl. This is your “filling.” Spread it over the cornbread layer, then dump both cheeses on top. Be generous. This is not the time to hold back on cheese.

Plop the rest of your cornbread batter on top of the cheese. It’s going to look messy and some cheese will peek through. That’s exactly what you want – those cheese spots get all golden and crispy.

Stick it in the oven for 18-20 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top is golden brown and doesn’t jiggle when you shake the pan slightly. Let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it, or everything will fall apart. Trust me on this one.

Things I Learned the Hard Way

Your oven actually needs to be preheated. I know, I know, who has time? But if you stick this in a cold oven, the bottom gets weird and soggy. Just turn it on first thing when you walk in the kitchen.

Drain those vegetables really well. Like, really well. I once skipped this step because I was in a hurry, and the whole thing turned into soup. Not cute.

Don’t cut into it too soon, even though it smells amazing and you’re starving. Those 5 minutes make the difference between a perfect slice and a messy pile on your plate.

If you want to get fancy, you can tent it with foil if the top starts browning too fast. But honestly, I’ve never had to do this.

You may also like our Dolly’s Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Recipe.

Ways to Mix It Up

Once you’ve made the basic mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole a few times, you can start playing around with it. I’ve added jalapeños for my husband who thinks everything needs to be spicier. My vegetarian daughter likes her version of mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole with extra beans and some quinoa mixed in.

In the summer, I throw in fresh corn and bell peppers when I have them. Winter calls for maybe some roasted sweet potato chunks. My sister makes a version with green chiles that’s pretty good too.

You can make it vegan by using plant milk and vegan cheese, though I haven’t tried this myself. If you do, let me know how it turns out.

What to Serve With It

This mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole is pretty filling on its own, but sometimes you want sides. A simple salad helps cut through all that cheese. I usually just throw together whatever greens I have with some lime juice and olive oil.

Avocado slices are always good. Salsa if you have it. Sometimes I make a quick pico de gallo if I’m feeling ambitious, but let’s be real – that doesn’t happen often on weeknights.

For drinks, beer works. Water works. Whatever’s in your fridge works. This isn’t fancy dinner party food – it’s “I need to feed my family something decent” food.

FAQs

So there you have it. The mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole that accidentally became a regular in our dinner rotation. It’s not fancy, it’s not Instagram-perfect, but it’s real food that real people actually want to eat. This mexican vegetarian cheese jiffy corn bread casserole has saved me so many weeknight dinners. Give it a try and let me know what you think – or what you added to make it your own.

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