A delicious salad made using crumbled cornbread and a variety of vegetables, mixed with a mayonnaise and sour cream Ranch dressing and garnished with bacon. A great addition to your next potluck or party!

Cornbread Salad

I confess. Cornbread salad is not something that many of us grew up knowing about here in South Mississippi, but ever since learning about it a couple years back from Tommie, a dear friend from Oklahoma, I have wanted to give it a try. While I do think it's more common over that way, Cornbread Salad seems to be making its way across the south as a whole these days. I admit, it does come off sounding an odd contrast of textures, but so many people who are familiar with it seem to love it, so hey, I'm game for anything!

I had made a full batch of cornbread to go with some lady cream peas I was making and set aside half of it specifically for this recipe. I'll be honest with y'all. I really didn't know how I was gonna like this dish, and it took me a few bites to get past my own judgment. Once I did, this salad absolutely grew on me and every time I took another serving of it from the fridge, I loved it more and more.

The first time I made this, I decided to use a deep bowl and layered the salad, making a nice presentation if you're taking this to a party, potluck or a church supper.

Cornbread salad, layered in a clear bowl, makes a beautiful presentation. Simply toss before serving!

I started with Tommie's basics, and added my own touches, though in truth, this is a very versatile salad, both in the way that it is presented and the ingredients. You can use many different things in it to personalize it to your tastes. Pintos seem to be more common in Texas and Oklahoma when a bean is added, but for here in The Deep South, I thought black-eyed peas seemed fitting. I also chose Vidalia onions over red onion, just because they were in season down here and well, we love them! I also found that I really liked the addition of sweet pickles and juice, as well as a protein of some kind. I used a Cajun fried turkey breast from the deli that was fantastic with this salad. I've also included some additional add-in suggestions and variations that both Tommie and the readers on our Facebook page shared with us, showing the true versatility of this salad.

For the layered version, I topped it with the dressing and let it sit in the fridge for several hours, then tossed it just before serving. Even better is to layer this whole salad in a 9 x 13 inch clear baking dish instead of a deep bowl. The more shallow oblong pan allows for the flavors to meld together better without having to mix the salad up. Simply layer it as indicated, let it marinate in the refrigerator, and then, serve it as-is, without mixing. Since I used the bowl, and mixed the salad, as it sat in the fridge a couple of days, it actually really developed its flavor and tasted better and better each time I had a serving out of it. Frankly, I'm a little undecided yet whether I prefer this salad layered, or simply mixed up and left to marinate that way.

This is a great summertime salad at home, or for your next party, church supper, or potluck. If you've never heard of it before, I know it sounds different, but why not give it a try? The amounts given in the recipe are relative - use more or less to your own liking. Here's how to make it.

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Recipe: Cornbread Salad

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 15 min |

Total time: 24 hours|

Yield: About 6 to 8 servings

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Ingredients

For the Dressing:

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 envelope of Ranch dressing mix
• 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste, optional
• 2 teaspoons of sweet pickle juice, optional

For the Salad:

• 2 (6 to 8 ounce) packages of cornbread mix or half a pan of homemade
• 2 cans of black-eyed peas or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans of whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup of chopped Vidalia or red onion
• 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup of chopped sweet pickles, optional
• 1/4 cup of chopped pickled jalapeño
• 1 cup of chopped turkey, chicken or ham, optional
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Instructions

Mix dressing ingredients; set aside. Prepare cornbread and let cool completely and once cooled, crumble.

Combine the crumbled cornbread with the black-eyed peas, corn, onion, green bell pepper, pickles, jalapeño, turkey, tomatoes and cheese. Add the dressing, toss, cover and refrigerate overnight, 24 hours is even better. Just before serving stir in half of the bacon and top with the remaining chopped bacon. May also layer in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan, or if you prefer, this also makes a pretty presentation in a glass bowl. You'll need about a 4-quart bowl. Layer half of the ingredients in the bowl, then repeat. If layering in a deep bowl, toss before serving.

Cook's Notes: All amounts given in the recipe are relative - use more or less to your own liking. For this recipe, I used a half pan of homemade cornbread, bread and butter pickles, and a Cajun fried spicy turkey breast from the deli.

Optional Add-ins: Chopped or shredded romaine lettuce, chopped boiled egg, drained English peas, drained Mexicorn, sliced green onion, red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped, drained pimentos, chopped dill pickles, black olives, other drained beans (white, kidney, black), sliced summer squash, chopped celery, chopped nuts.

Variations: Can also substitute plain mayonnaise or a small bottle of any commercial ranch dressing for the homemade version above. For a Southwestern flair, use Mexican cornbread, or add a can of Mexicorn, green chilies and/or jalapeños to your regular cornbread batter. Add 2 teaspoons of chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin to the dressing, add black beans and use a Mexican blend of cheeses.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Posted by Mary on May 22, 2011

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