Southern Cornbread Salad Recipe is a delicious combination of flavors from moist cornbread, bell peppers, pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, ranch dressing, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon crumbles, and green onions. It all comes together quickly and easily making it one of our favorite go to salads. Serve it layered in a trifle dish or tossed in a large bowl. This side dish is ideal for potlucks, picnics, family reunions, and pool parties.
This is a great dish for leftover cornbread. You can assemble this layered salad in a clear large bowl or even a clear rectangular baking dish. The colors on this salad really pop and make this salad just perfect for a party. If you are squeezed for time bake a batch of cornbread a day or two in advance.
How to make Southern Cornbread Salad
Start by preparing the dressing mix. Stir together the mayo, sour cream, and ranch seasoning packet in a medium bowl. Then cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge while you prepare the cornbread.
Now in another medium bowl mix together the corn muffin mix, egg, milk and sour cream. Stir just until combined then spoon into a greased 8×8 inch square pan and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Then place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool for a few minutes while you cut the vegetables.
Cut the cornbread into 1 inch cubes and place it into the bottom of a trifle dish or clear bowl. Top with the red bell pepper, pinto beans, corn kernels, onion, and tomatoes. Using a spatula or the smooth bottom of a large spoon spread the dressing mixture over the top. Then layer with the shredded cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, and sliced green onions.
Cornbread salad recipe notes
- Make the cornbread up to 2 days in advance.
- I grease the baking dish with vegetable shortening but butter will work too.
- Kidney beans or black beans can be substituted for the pinto beans.
- Use any colored bell pepper you like. Red, yellow, orange, or green bell pepper all work.
- If you have the time make homemade ranch dressing. It really is incredibly flavorful and it makes the salad that much better.
- Use your favorite homemade cornbread recipe in place of the Jiffy cornbread or try mine.
- This salad is very forgiving as far as what layer goes where so don’t sweat it.
- If desired toss in a large bowl and season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve or up to 10 hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Other salad recipes you will love!
Print
Cornbread Salad
This delicious Southern Cornbread Recipe brings moist cornbread together with pinto beans, red bell pepper, sweet corn, sun ripened tomatoes, creamy ranch dressing, sharp cheddar, and crisp bacon together into an amazing taste treat.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: side
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch seasoning and dressing mix
Cornbread
- 1 (8.5 ounce) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup sour cream
Salad
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.14 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
- 3 large tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 slices bacon, crispy cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish.
- Stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning packet in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- In a medium bowl mix together the corn muffin mix, egg, milk and sour cream. Stir just until combined then spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool while you cut the vegetables.
- Cut the cornbread into 1 inch squares and place into the bottom of a trifle dish or clear bowl. Top with the red bell pepper, pinto beans, corn kernels, onion, and tomatoes. Using a spatula or the smooth bottom of a large spoon spread the ranch dressing over the top. Layer with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 10 hours.
Notes
- Make the cornbread up to 2 days in advance.
- I grease the baking dish with vegetable shortening but butter will work too.
- Kidney beans or black beans can be substituted for the pinto beans.
- Use any colored bell pepper you like. Red, yellow, orange, or green bell pepper all work.
- This salad is very forgiving as far as what layer goes where so don’t sweat it.
- If desired toss in a large bowl and season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve or up to 10 hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Keywords: how to make cornbread salad, easy cornbread salad, southern cornbread salad, layered cornbread salad
On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
LeighAnne Wilson
Has anyone ever tried this as a hot meal? I ate this last night at a local restaurant but it was served warm and so good….just wondering how to prepare it like that?
★★★★★
Tammy
This is such a good idea for summer! Cornbread is a must at all our cookouts and bbqs and this is such a fun way of serving it up. Delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Melanie E
This cornbread salad is amazing. Such a delicious southern treat. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
★★★★★
Rosey
This recipe is genius. I’ve never heard of anything like it, but I like every single thing in it!
Luna S
Yum! We are big fans of cornbread in our house, but I have never heard of this before. It looks pretty good, I will have to give it a try sometime.
Beth Pierce
You really should. It is so darn good.
Juliane
This was so good. It reminds me of the delicious cornbread salad my aunt made for us when we were kids. I forgot how delicious this salad really is. Thanks for the blast from the past.
★★★★★
Tracey
I have made this for years. I don’t put corn or beans in ours and I just half cherry tomatoes…
It is always a hit. I always call it my church lady pot luck salad…my grandmother made it when we were kids and it always went to the pot lucks…I take it in the summers to barbqs…
Krystle
This is my kind of salad, I’ve been craving it all week.
★★★★★
Sandra
This is such an amazing salad! The combination of flavors is amazing!
★★★★★
Gina
I was so excited to try this recipe. It came out great! It is so delicious that I will be making next weekend as my side dish at a BBQ. I know everyone is going to love it!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Gina! So glad that you liked it!
GUNJAN
This salad idea is so unique and so delicious. its so flavorful. we loved it.
★★★★★
Toni
Everyone at my house loved this! Such an amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Claudia Lamascolo
We loved this salad with cornbread dish and the cheese and onions were a perfect compliment of flavors!
★★★★★
Savita
This salad was so flavorful and delicious, perfect for summers.
★★★★★
Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert
This was amazingly delicious! It was a hit on our table.
Amanda
This is my kind of recipe! I love anything with cornbread!
Kimberly
This salad is wonderful! I’m bringing this along with me to an upcoming outdoor potluck – it’s going to be a hit!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Kimberly! I sure hope they enjoy it as much as we do!
Catalina
This salad has all the ingredients that I love! It looks amazingly delicious!
★★★★★
Catalina
The best salad ever! I’ve made it and everyone loved it!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Catalina! So happy that you liked it!
Jacque Hastert
This has been saved and will be getting made this weekend! What a great idea to use cornbread, I would have never thought of that!
★★★★★
Allyson Zea
This looks so wonderful with so many of my favorite flavors! Love this idea of using cornbread!
★★★★★
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
This Cornbread Salad is looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
★★★★★