Prepare all ingredients. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes over medium high heat. You can use a large cast iron skillet or a non stick pan for this.
Add the ground beef, tomato paste and stir. Cook this for about 10 minutes. Drain the fat.
Add all spices, beans, tomatoes, simmer for about 20 minutes. I love using Rotel diced tomatoes.
Mix all the ingredients for the cornbread mix in a large mixing bowl.
Put the ground beef mixture in an ovenproof baking dish, then pour the cornbread batter on it and spread it evenly. Cook this for about 35 minutes in an oven preheated to 190 degrees, or until the top is golden brown.
Notes
While you can use any cornbread mix you can get your hands on, I would highly recommend using Jiffy corn muffin mix for best results. It has the perfect texture you're looking for in a cornbread mix, and is perfect for this cornbread casserole recipe.