My sister raved about Cornbread Salad and forced me to make it. It sounds crazy. I tried to blow her off, but she wouldn’t let it go. She made me promise to make it and report back! Once I did, I fell in love. Hard.

Classic Cornbread Salad

If you don’t know Cornbread Salad, cornbread is crumbled up and just about every delicious, wonderful is added. It’s like a small miracle. The Miracle of Cornbread Salad.

About Classic Cornbread Salad:

Cornbread Salad is layered in a trifle bowl and it’s perfect for a party, potluck, or any special occasion or get-together. It looks much cooler “in person” than in my pics!

There’s cornbread, bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, and red onion all layered with a semi-homemade Ranch. Then there’s cheese & bacon. The description doesn’t do it justice!

Classic Cornbread Salad

Southwestern Variations:

• Riff by going Southwestern; add Black or Pinto Beans in the layers, top with black olives, sour cream, jalapenos, and salsa in addition to the cheese. Try Colby, Jack, or Pepperjack.
• For the mayo add taco seasoning. Your choice, a partial or full package instead of Ranch mix or in addition.

Homemade Ranch Mix & Ranch Dressing

The Ingredients in Cornbread Salad:

Ranch/Mayo:

• My sister INSISTED a packet of dry Ranch Seasoning is THE magic ingredient. She was right. You’ll get just the right flavor and texture using mayo and the Ranch. A bottled dressing is too thin and too vinegary. I prefer my Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix.

Cornbread:

• This is best made with a Southern-style cornbread like my easy Southern Skillet Cornbread. Southern-style is usually less sweet and a little dryer than its Northern counterpart. Typically, the Northern style is softer, moister, and almost cake-like.
• The reason it’s important is because the ingredients mingle and become almost like a cohesive mix, but the cornbread needs to stay at least a little distinct. You don’t want soft cornbread that could become “mushy.”
• If options are limited to a moist cornbread or a mix, crumble it and set it aside to dry overnight. The mix should be a basic one, like Jiffy, following the package instructions. This isn’t the time to make your Fancy Jiffy Cornbread.

Mayonnaise:

• If you’re from the South, use Dukes, but with everything else going on (sacrilege, I know) brand won’t make much difference.
• Last time I took careful note of the amount of mayo. I advise two to three cups in the recipe, and mine, using my Southern Skillet Cornbread needed every bit of the three cups of mayonnaise.

Bacon:

• Use a good quality; a thick cut isn’t needed but is never wrong. My preference is for cooked through with a little chewiness left. We love using Oven Bacon  – no bother, no mess.
• When the kids were here for Thanksgiving, we added extra. Turns out there is such a thing as too much bacon! Stick with a pound.

Vegetables:

• Over the years, I’ve slightly changed up the veggies. I settled on 2 green bell peppers, three tomatoes, and just a smidge more than the original 1 1/2 cup of corn.
• I included my changes in the recipe in parentheses because so many of you have been using the original recipe I didn’t want to change it if you came back for it.

Southern Skillet Cornbread

Serving & Storing:

Classically, the salad is mixed before serving is stated. It’s best to place the trifle onto a larger plate because as you can see, it can be a messy proposition.

We find any leftovers are just fine the next day and like it better! Beyond that is determined by personal taste and tolerance; the texture will change. It’s safe for four to five days as long as it hasn’t sat out too long.

Rotate your pan if needed.

Saving Money on Classic Cornbread Salad:

Except for the bacon, most of the ingredients are inexpensive, and many are on sale before holidays. To see what might be a good deal before any Holiday, check my post: Win at the Grocer.

Bacon:

• Know what’s a good sale and one with rock bottom pricing. Stock up at rock bottom, which is about half price, and usually before a holiday. Not being brand loyal gives more opportunities to save. Bacon freezes well and takes up little room.
• Discount stores like Aldi or Lidl have great pricing but beware of the cheapest. As a rule, buyer’s clubs have better quality at low, not necessarily the cheapest price.

Grocery Cheese:

• Grocery Store Cheese is a great item to pick up at rock bottom and keep on hand. The best pricing is a discount store’s sales, but if not an option, know the lows at your grocery.
• Cheese keeps for weeks, unopened, and can be frozen. After freezing, it will be a little crumbly but still great for casseroles and cooking.

Cornbread:

• One day when short on time, I checked out the cornbread at my grocerie’s bakery aisle. $4.99 for an 8 x 8 pan? I found the time.
• A pan from Jiffy Mix ran about $1.04; cheaper than my scratch cornbread.

Corn:

• Fresh: Will need to be cooked. One ear yields about 3/4 cup. On a good sale, an ear is 20 to 25 cents. Don’t fall for the false narrative frozen vegetables are cheaper than fresh.
• Canned: 15 ounces is about 1 1/2 cups. On sale for $1.00, it’s $1.06 a pound, although lower sale prices can be found. Avoid smaller cans.
• Frozen: Comes in so many sizes comparisons are difficult. The cheapest frozen I found was $1.50 a pound in an 8-pound value package. That’s crazy! Even crazier is all the specialty frozen corn, especially by the ear.

Bell Peppers:

• Buy on sale; they’ll keep two to three weeks in the fridge. Discount groceries run about the same price as grocery store sales. Green is always less expensive than colors.
• Compare pricing in two or three packs to singles. If a save is needed, roast the colored ones and freeze them. The green can be diced and frozen.

Mayonnaise:

• Buy your condiments like mayo during the summer holiday sales when it drops to a low. Stock up for the year. If you miss those sales before the Superbowl is a “Hail Mary.”

Classic Cornbread Salad

Classic Cornbread Salad

Print Recipe

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• Author: Aunt Elizabeth Pei
• Total Time: 20 minutes plus chill if desired
• Yield: 8 to 12 1x
• Category: Sides
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 packet dry Ranch dressing mix (homemade or commercial, although homemade is preferred, see links on site)
• 2–3 cups mayonnaise (see notes on site; I use the dryer Southern-style Cornbread and the full three cups of mayonnaise)
• 1 pan Southern-style cornbread, crumbled (See notes on site for alternatives)
• 1/2 large red onion, diced (some reserved for garnish)
• 1 to 2 green bell peppers, diced (the second bell pepper is a new addition)
• 2 tomatoes, diced (try three as a variation)
• 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained (about 1 1/2 cups corn) (We’ve come to prefer more corn, about 2 cups)
• 1 pound bacon, cooked until crisp but still a little chewy and crumbled, some reserved for garnish
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated large (reserve for garnish)
• a green onion, sliced for garnish if desired

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Instructions

Mix together the Mayonnaise and Ranch mix.

Note on layering:

There are three layers and the topping. All the ingredients are best prepped all at once. Pay close attention to whether an ingredient is to be divided into 1/3 or 1/4’s or has no division. If it’s 1/3, the ingredients are divided into the three layers, 1/3 in each layer. If the ingredient is divided by 1/4, it will go into all three layers, but the final quarter will be a part of the topping. If there is no division (the cheese and green onion) it goes on top, only.

Begin the layering:

Add about 1/3 of the crumbled cornbread on the bottom of the trifle dish. Over that, dollop about 1/4 of the Mayo/Ranch mixture. Sprinkle on 1/4 of the red onion, 1/3 of bell pepper, 1/3 of the tomato, 1/3 of the corn, and 1/4 of the bacon. Do not use the cheese or the green onion in layers. Layers two and three: Simply repeat the first layer.

For the top of the trifle: Add the remaining 1/4 of the Mayo/Ranch mixture on top of the last layer in a big dollop in the center. Sprinkle grated cheese around the outside edge. Sprinkle the bacon in a circle where the cheese and Mayo/Ranch mixture meet. Sprinkle the green onion and the last 1/4 of the red onion over the Mayo/Ranch Mixture.

Carefully cover and refrigerate for several hours; three is ideal. Mix right before serving.

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I’m sharing Classic Cornbread Salad at Fiesta Friday #198, hosted by Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas and Spoons.