Southern cornbread salad is an easy, make-ahead side dish that's full of layers of colorful vegetables, cornbread, cheese, bacon, and a creamy Ranch dressing.
1cupbell pepperI used a blend of green, red, and yellow
1cupgreen onionssliced
½cupred onion
30ouncespinto beansdrained and rinsed
2cupsCheddar cheeseshredded
1poundbaconcooked and crumbled
20ouncesfrozen corn
8ounceschiles
½cupcilantro
Instructions
Dice the cornbread up in small cubes.
Mix the tomatoes, peppers, chiles, red onions, and half the green onions in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, and Ranch seasoning in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add a layer of cornbread to the bottom of a large glass bowl.
Top with half the pinto beans.
Top with half the tomato and bell pepper mix.
Top with a layer of cheese, then a layer of cilantro.
Top with a layer of corn then a layer of bacon.
Top with half the mayonnaise mixture.
Repeat layers ending with the dressing.
Sprinkle with remaining green onions.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours up to 24 hours.
Video
Notes
Expert Tip: Remember that dishes with mayonnaise based dressings should not sit at room temperature for more than an hour or two. Refrigerate promptly to guard against food borne illness.
You can make this layered or mix it all up in a large bowl. Layered is prettier.
If you're going to layer it you can use a trifle bowl or just a large mixing bowl like I did. Use clear glass because you want people to be able to see the layers.
A box of Jiffy cornbread mix will make enough cornbread for this salad.
You can save time by purchasing an 8x8-inch square of cornbread from the store.
Make Mexican cornbread salad by adding chopped jalapenos to the cornbread batter.
Some people prefer to crumble the cornbread rather than cube it.
If you like a lot of dressing (I do) double the amounts of Ranch, sour cream, and mayonnaise.