Southern Cornbread Salad
Vibrant layered salad with sweet cornbread, smoky bacon, fresh veggies, and creamy ranch dressing. A no-cook, make-ahead Southern classic.
Ingredients
- For the Cornbread Layer:
- 1 pan 8×8-inch day-old cornbread, crumbled (~6 cups)
- For the Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- For the Layers:
- 1 can pinto or black beans drained
- 1 can sweet corn drained
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 8 slices bacon cooked & crumbled
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Crumble day-old cornbread.
- Whisk dressing ingredients.
- Cook and crumble bacon.
- Dice all vegetables.
- Layer in trifle bowl: half cornbread → half beans, corn, peppers, onion, tomato, bacon, cheese → half dressing.
- Repeat layers.
- Garnish with extra bacon and green onions.
- Chill 4–24 hours. Serve cold.
Notes
- Day-old cornbread prevents sogginess.
- Assemble up to 24 hours ahead.
- Use clear bowl to show layers.
- Leftovers soften—best within 2 days.
- Double for a crowd; halve for smaller groups.