My sister raved about Cornbread Salad and forced me to make it. It sounds crazy. (Both the recipe and the insistence, lol.) 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 thing 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, BBQ, or any special occasion or get-together.

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!

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, substitute sour cream and add taco seasoning. Your choice, a partial or full package instead of the Ranch mix, or in addition.

Classic Cornbread Salad – older photo before editing.

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 drier than its Northern counterpart.
• The reason for the Southern cornbread is that the ingredients mingle and but the cornbread needs to stay distinct. A softer, more cakelike (like Northern style) will quickly turn mushy and almost dissolve.
• If options are limited to a moist cornbread or a mix, crumble it and set it aside to dry overnight. The mix should be basic, like Jiffy (you’ll need two packages), made following the package instructions.

Mayonnaise:

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

Bacon:

• Use a good quality; a thick cut isn’t needed, but it is never wrong. My preference is for cooked through with a little chewiness. 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 cups 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 stopped back again for the recipe.

Southern Skillet Cornbread

Serving & Storing:

Classically, the salad is mixed before serving. It’s best to place the trifle onto a larger plate because, as you can see, mixing it could be a messy proposition. If you’re making Cornbread Salad for an event, make and/or measure all the individual components, but layer them shortly before presenting it.

And while it’s prettiest in a trifle bowl, some just mix it in a bowl and serve it just like that. I do think some of the fun comes from the presentation.

We find that any leftovers are just fine the next day, and I liked it just as much after it was mixed and had mingled together overnight, although the looks and texture suffered! I’d say that’s a personal tolerance thing. It’s safe for three to five days in the fridge, 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 the difference between 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 a low, not necessarily the lowest 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 grocery store’s bakery aisle. $4.99 for an 8 x 8 pan? I found the time.
• Two pans of Jiffy Mix ran about $2.08 to make, close to what my homemade cost.

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 that 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 that comparisons are difficult. The cheapest frozen I found was $1.50 a pound in an 8-pound value package. That blew me away!

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 other 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, but it’s always best to saute first..

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 Super Bowl is a “Hail Mary.”

Classic Cornbread Salad

Print Recipe

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The salad will be a surprise to anyone not familiar, but it’s always the first to go!

• Author: Aunt Elizabeth Pei
• Total Time: 20 minutes plus chill of 3 hours
• 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

The Mayo Ranch Mixture:

Mix together the Mayonnaise and Ranch mix. Refrigerate until ready to make the salad.

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. (Mental division fine and expected! No need to physically divide any items.)

• Divided into 1/4s: The Mayo Ranch Mixture, the red onion, and the bacon. These all go in each of the three layers as directed, and some goes on top.
• Divided into 1/3rds: The cornbread, bell pepper, tomato, and corn. These go on each of the three layers. None on top.
• No division: The cheese and green onion. They go on the top only.

Begin the layering:

• Layer 1: 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 the bell pepper, 1/3 of the tomato, 1/3 of the corn, and 1/4 of the bacon.
• Layer 2: Repeat Layer 1.
• Layer 3: Repeat Layer 1.

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. For the freshest looking salad (especially if it’s toted somewhere), add the toppings when it comes out for serving.

When to Serve and What can be Prepped Ahead:

Carefully cover and refrigerate for several hours; three is ideal, up to five is good. Mix right before serving.

If planning on making ahead, it’s better to prep some of the ingredients ahead, but don’t assemble until three to five hours before serving. You may wish to add the toppings right before serving so they look fresh.

• Do not cut the red or green onion ahead. They will become too strong if stored.
• The Mayo/Ranch Mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
• Keep all items separate except the bell pepper, tomato, and corn. They can be prepped the day ahead, and can technically be mixed instead of layered. When ready to add to the salad, include any juices that might have come from these vegetables.
• The bacon can be made a day ahead; if it is left too long, it will become limp.
• The cornbread can be made a day or two ahead. See notes in the post about the types of cornbread.

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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.