This Barbecue Chicken Cornbread Casserole is an easy dinner recipe that comes together with a few pantry staples in just 15 minutes! Made with sweet and tangy barbecue chicken and a cheesy crispy cornbread topping, so delicious!
Sometimes my lack of grocery store motivation results in chicken nuggets for dinner, or buttered noodles with frozen broccoli. Hey, it happens to the best of us! But other times, an attempt to delay the necessary shopping trip spawns great creativity and I end up with a pantry meal that we all devour. Those are the pleasant surprises that really make me happy…
This Barbecue Chicken Cornbread Casserole was the latter – a last-minute easy dinner that I threw together when I was looking into a very bare refrigerator with 3 very hungry little boys staring at me across the counter.
I literally pulled together each of these ingredients from my cabinets, freezer, or refrigerator and dinner was in our bellies about 45 minutes later. Can’t beat that!
Easy, Fuss Free and Delicious!
Best of all, the Cornbread Casserole is a complete meal in one pan. You don’t have to scramble to pull together a side dish or veggies at the last minute, since the filling is loaded with plenty of bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and corn.
A small amount of leftover (or rotisserie) chicken goes a long way and adds a protein boost; or you can substitute a can of beans for the meat and create a vegetarian option. It’s cheesy, it’s sweet, it’s tangy, it’s filling, it’s comforting, and it’s finished with a delicious cornbread crust!
Tips For Making This Chicken Cornbread Casserole:
- If you don't have leftover chicken use a rotisserie chicken to speed things up
- You could also use leftover turkey or cooked ham instead of chicken
- Replace the meat altogether with a can of beans or lentils for a veggie option
- This is a great way to use leftover veg so throw in whatever you have
- If you don't have cheddar try using another good melting cheese with strong flavor such as fontina, gruyere or provolone
I hope that your family enjoys this supper as much as mine does, and I hope that it saves you from at least one stressful trip to the grocery store!
More Delicious Casserole You Might Like:
- Dump and Bake Chicken Cornbread Casserole
- Dump and Bake Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
- Easy Broccoli Casserole
- Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Barbecue Chicken Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels you do NOT need to thaw the corn in advance
- 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, NOT drained
- 9 ounces about 1 ¾ cup cooked, diced chicken
- 1 cup 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 8.5 ounce box cornbread mix (I used Jiffy), plus ingredients called for on the box
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and bell pepper just until tender (about 3 minutes). Reduce heat to low, add barbecue sauce, and simmer until thickens slightly (about 1-2 minutes). Stir in frozen corn, tomatoes, chicken, and ½ cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Transfer chicken mixture to prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, prepare cornbread batter according to package instructions. Stir in remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Spread cornbread batter over chicken mixture. I like to do this by using a large spoon to dollop the batter all over the top of the casserole. Then use the back of the spoon to gently spread it around until it covers most of dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cooked through.
Notes
- If you don't have leftover chicken use a rotisserie chicken to speed things up
- You could also use leftover turkey or cooked ham instead of chicken
- Replace the meat altogether with a can of beans or lentils for a veggie option
- This is a great way to use leftover veg so throw in whatever you have
- If you don't have cheddar try using another good melting cheese with strong flavor such as fontina, gruyere or provolone
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
This casserole is totally calling my name! As in, I want it for breakfast! 🙂 I have a major thing for cornbread, and I love that you layered it on top of barbecue chicken. What a perfect meal for busy weeknights!
Blair
Thanks, Gayle! It's full of so much flavor -- and I love the cornbread crust the most, too!
Randy W
I have a major thing for eggs benedict; I do make it on occasions, but frequently order it when out. I was on vacation in Maui and ordered this and instead of English muffin it was served on cornbread – OMG, I have never made it any other ways since!!!
Blair
Awesome! Such a great flavor combo! 🙂
Kristy from Southern In Law
I love anything with cornbread and Jesse loves anything with barbeque sauce so this is totally the best of both worlds 😉
Blair
Yep, this is totally a crowd-pleaser! I love cornbread too, and my boys are all about the BBQ chicken. We love this dinner!
Kelly @ Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats
You are so creative!! I love how you threw this all together and came up with the perfect family meal!
Blair
Thank you, Kelly! Have a great weekend!
CakeSpy
Jiffy cornbread mix is my FAVORITE. This looks like the best use of it...ever!
Blair
It's my favorite, too! Thanks so much! 🙂
Kate @ Framed Cooks
Well, this will go right to the top of the Southern husband's list of favorites (and I think I will love it too!) Hurray!
Blair
Awesome. I hope that you both love it, Kate!
NORMA
ANOTHER ONE TO ADD TO MY GROWING LIST OF RECIPES TO MAKE1 THANK YOU
Blair
Oh, you're so welcome, Norma! I hope that you enjoy it! We love that meal!
Elizabeth
Fabulous, delicious comfort food. We LOVED IT!
Blair
Thank you, Elizabeth!
Dawn Nicole
Made this tonight and it was a big hit! I used poblano peppers and Rotel for the canned tomatoes and a Sweet and Spicy BBQ for some heat. We will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation! The hubby said several times, “That was an excellent dinner!”.
Thanks for a delicious recipe, Blair!
Blair
I'm so happy to hear that, Dawn Nicole! Thanks for letting me know. Your spicy version sounds really good!
FarmhouseWithFlowers
I googled "BBQ chicken casserole" and your recipe popped up so here I am! 🙂 Thanks for this budget-friendly, quick & easy recipe...Very yummy!
Greetings from the Central Coast of California
Blair
Hi! So glad that you found my blog! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note. 🙂
Monica
I totally didn’t follow your recipe because I was missing some of the ingredients but I know this is going to be delicious! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
I had frozen chopped turkey in the freezer from the holidays and a surplus of barbecue sauce from grilling season that I wanted to get creative with.
I googled “barbecue chicken casseroles” and your is one that came up that sounded the best.
I made the filling tonight and my husband is going to mix up the topping and bake it tomorrow before I get home from work.
I didn’t have green peppers, corn, tomatoes, or cheddar cheese....
so I used onions and garlic, frozen mixed veggies (corn, carrots, green beans and peas), and a combination of white American cheese and cream cheese. The creaminess of the cheese complimented and mellowed out the barbecue sauce so nicely in the taste I took as I was spreading the filling in the baking dish for tomorrow!
I can’t wait for my workday to be over tomorrow now so I can come home to this dinner! I know some people dislike it when a recipe is reviewed after changes are made to it but I doubt I would have gotten this creative without your help! Thanks again!
Blair
Awesome -- your version sounds perfect, Monica! Thanks for your kind note. I hope you enjoy the meal!