Taco Cornbread Casserole

The history of Taco:

Jeffrey M. Pilcher, professor of history at the University of Minnesota, has traveled around the world eating tacos. For the past 20 years, he has investigated the history, politics and evolution of Mexican food, including how Mexican silver miners likely invented the taco, how Mexican Americans in the Southwest reinvented it, and how businessman Glen Bell mass-marketed it to Anglo palates via the crunchy Taco Bell shell. Pilcher is author and editor, respectively, of the forthcoming Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food (Oxford University Press) and The Oxford Handbook of Food History. His previous books include The Sausage Rebellion: Public Health, Private Enterprise, and Meat in Mexico City, 1890-1917 and Que vivan los tamales! Food and the Making of Mexican Identity.

To where have you traced the birth of the taco? And what about the origin of the word itself?

The origins of the taco are really unknown. My theory is that it dates from the 18th century and the silver mines in Mexico, because in those mines the word “taco” referred to the little charges they would use to excavate the ore. These were pieces of paper that they would wrap around gunpowder and insert into the holes they carved in the rock face. When you think about it, a chicken taquito with a good hot sauce is really a lot like a stick of dynamite. The first references [to the taco] in any sort of archive or dictionary come from the end of the 19th century. And one of the first types of tacos described is called tacos de minero—miner’s tacos. So the taco is not necessarily this age-old cultural expression; it’s not a food that goes back to time immemorial.

 Taco Cornbread Casserole comes together in under one hour for a feast filled with the flavors of zesty Mexican spices, assorted melty cheeses, and fresh lettuce and tomato. This recipe is guaranteed to spice up your weekly meal routine and get the whole family excited about dinner again. Serve this recipe as is with salsa and sour cream to garnish or a pitcher of margaritas to make this dish a real party.

You’ll Need:
1 package of cornbread/muffin mix.
3 cups of cooked taco seasoned meat.
1 (8 oz) cup of light sour cream.
1 cup of colby jack, cheddar or mexican cheese, shredded and divided.
½ cup of chopped onion.
1 medium chopped tomato.
1 cup of shredded lettuce.
How to:
Prepare the cornbread in a large bowl according to the package instructions then spread it in an 8×8 sprayed pan.
In a preheated oven to 350°, bake the cornbread for 20 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, ¾ cup of cheese and onion.
Spread the meat over the cornbread then top with the creamy mixture.
Bake for 15 more minutes then sprinkle with tomato, lettuce and ¼ cup of cheese.
Voila!
Simple, easy and cheesy! This is a whole meal! You don’t need any side dishes or salads. This will do. Give it a shot, it’s worth it.

ENJOY!