Description

Cornbread Salad is a vibrant, layered dish that combines the hearty, crumbly texture of cornbread with fresh vegetables, savory bacon, tangy cheese, and a creamy dressing. It’s a salad that offers a delightful mix of flavors and textures in every bite, making it a favorite across the South.

Ingredients

1 pan of cornbread, cut into cubes (use your favorite recipe or a mix. Here’s my recipe for cornbread Southern Cornbread Dressingbut in this post I used two boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix in this recipe. I just doubled the recipe. Mix according to the recipe.

1 can (15 oz) of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz) of corn, drained

1 cup of diced tomatoes

1 cup of chopped red bell pepper or green

bell pepper (I used red bell pepper in this recipe)

1 small red onion or (½ cup) finely chopped

½ cup chopped green onions

1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese

8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

2 cups of ranch dressing (homemade or your favorite brand) Hidden Valley is my favorite

Fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish optional or you can top with green onions

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cornbread: Make your cornbread a day ahead if possible, and let it cool completely before cutting it into cubes. This helps keep it from getting too soft in the salad.

2. Cook the bacon until crisp and crispy. Drain on paper towels and crumble.

3. Cut the cornbread into 1- inch cubes. Place the cornbread cubes into a large bowl. A clear or white bowl really makes the colors of this salad pop! This salad is as pretty as it is tasty. Start layering your ingredients over the cornbread cubes. Begin with the pinto beans, corn, diced tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, green onions, cheese and bacon.

4. Drizzle the ranch dressing over the salad mixture and very gently toss or just enough to coat but not so much that your cornbread turns to mush. Cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving. Note: to prevent cornbread from becoming too soggy, I wouldn’t put the dressing on any more than two hours before serving.

5. Garnish: Sprinkle with fresh parsley, green onions or cilantro for a pop of color and fresh flavor. Enjoy!!

Notes

Do ahead tips: The cornbread can be made a day ahead. In fact it’s best that it’s made ahead of time do it can cool completely. The vegetables can be chopped a day ahead as well. Just don’t mix the ranch dressing with that salad until about two hours before serving to prevent the cornbread from getting soggy. Cover and chill two hours be serving. This salad is great for potlucks, BBQ’s, holidays or anytime!