Southern Cornbread Salad Recipe
This salad is Southern through and through, cornbread, bacon, and a creamy dressing all in one bite. I grew up around this kind of food, big bowls, layered flavors, and nothing too fancy, just good. It’s the kind of thing you bring to a gathering and folks go, “Who made that?” I’ve been making this one forever, and I finally put the recipe together, so you can trust it’ll turn out every time.
Servings 10 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pan cooked cornbread I use this recipe, but store-bought boxed cornbread works.
- 2 15.5 oz canned pinto beans drained
- 2 15.5oz canned corn Drained
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup diced bell peppers
- ½ cup diced onions
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 6 slices bacon Cooked and crumbled
- 1 ½ cups ranch dressing
- 2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
Instructions
- Start by slicing or crumbling your cooked cornbread into bite-sized chunks. Not too fine, you want it chunky enough to hold up, but not so big that it takes over the salad. Set it aside.
- Drain your canned pinto beans and corn. Dice the tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers. (If your tomatoes are extra juicy, drain them a bit so your salad doesn’t get watery.)
- Season the Ranch: In a small bowl, stir a little Creole seasoning into your ranch dressing, just enough to give it a kick and bring out that Southern flavor. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- In a large trifle bowl or glass dish, start layering: a layer of crumbled cornbread, a layer of pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions, handful of shredded cheddar cheese, a few spoonfuls of seasoned ranch, and a sprinkle of bacon. Repeat until everything is used up, ending with a final drizzle of ranch, some extra cheese, and a little bacon on top for that pretty finish.
- Cover and chill the salad in the fridge for at least 1–2 hours before serving. This gives the flavors time to come together without turning the cornbread mushy.
Notes
Make sure the cornbread is not warm. It needs to be completely cooled or the salad will be mushy. If you're in a pinch, toss it in the freezer for 30 minutes. This works for me every time!
I typically serve the dressing separate from the salad. That way guests can add it on their own and the salad does not become soggy as the day progresses.