Cornbread Salad Recipe
Cornbread Salad boasts layers of buttery cornbread, hearty beans, vibrant vegetables, bacon, and, of course, cheese. Top it off with a homemade ranch dressing, and you’ve got heaven in a bowl. This easy and filling salad is perfect for special family dinners and crazy weeknights!
I love homemade Southern cornbread, hot from the oven and loaded with butter and honey. And leftovers are no problem because I have the perfect cornbread salad recipe to use them up.
A while back, we had a family reunion and more than one of us took cornbread. Needless to say, we had plenty left over. The subject turned to great ways to use leftovers, and cornbread salad was one of the ideas. Perfect!
What Is Cornbread Salad?
If you love a good taco salad, you’ll also love Southern cornbread salad. And it’s so beautiful in a clear glass bowl so you can see all the vibrant layers, buttery chunks of cornbread, colorful vegetables, bacon, cheese, and more. This great warm-weather side salad even delivers a filling main course for a fast lunch on a crazy day.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cornbread – Southern-style cornbread is ideal for this recipe, but you can use your go-to cornbread.
- Veggies – Tomatoes add acidity and juiciness. Then bright red and green bell peppers add a gorgeous pop of color and a pleasant crunch. Yellow bell peppers work, too. Onions (regular and green) deliver a wonderful zing.
- Kidney Beans add heartiness for a filling side or vegetarian main course.
- Corn adds a little sweetness, and corn with cornbread works every time. You could use leftover grilled corn instead of canned if you have it.
- Bacon provides a smoky, salty flavor that adds to the salad’s complexity. Besides, bacon makes everything better, right?
- Cheese – Sharp cheddar delivers a flavor punch full of umami. Yum!
- Ranch Dressing – Homemade ranch dressing is a definite plus, but store-bought works too. The creaminess balances the salad’s crunch. No ranch? Italian dressing, a mayonnaise and sour cream mixture, and creamy Caesar dressing are all delicious.
How to Make Cornbread Salad
- Bacon – Heat a heavy or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then add chopped bacon, and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning as needed, or until it’s brown and crisp.
- Assemble in a large bowl or divide between individual salad bowls. Add the cornbread first, then layer the tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, bacon, and onions. (Or arrange in your preferred order.) (Photos 1-7)
- Finishing Touch – Top the salad with cheddar cheese (if desired), green onions, and parsley. Cover it and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. I usually wait to add the ranch dressing right before serving. (Photo 8)
- Serve – When ready to serve your cornbread salad, drizzle the ranch dressing over the top. You can also serve extra ranch dressing on the side.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian version. Leave out the bacon or replace it with a plant-based version. Another good bacon replacement is eggplant marinated in soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Then saute them in olive oil and use them instead of bacon.
- Meaty addition. For a true one-dish main course salad, add roasted turkey, chicken, ham, etc.
- Bean swap. Trade the kidney beans with black beans, black-eyed peas, or pinto beans. Just use whatever you have and love.
- More delicious add-ins. Black olives, capers, and diced jalapenos are excellent additions. Chopped broccoli and cauliflower are good too.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a clear glass bowl if you want to show off the gorgeous layers.
- Feel free to stir the salad before serving to make sure everyone gets a bite of everything.
- Save the bacon drippings and stir them into the ranch dressing for a bacon ranch dressing twist.
- If making your cornbread from scratch, let it cool before cutting it into cubes so it doesn’t crumble as easily. And it’s a perfect make-ahead ingredient.
- Don’t worry about getting all the layers in order, especially if you decide to stir it at serving time.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Wanna get ahead for a stress-free side at your next picnic? While it’s best six hours ahead, you can totally make this salad a day or two before. However, I’d wait until serving to add the ranch dressing.
Serving and Storage Instructions
A glass bowl shows off the beautiful layers, but don’t feel bad if stirring it at serving time works better.
Refrigerate leftover cornbread salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Enjoy it for a quick lunch or snack on the go.
What Goes With Cornbread Salad
This refreshing summer side dish goes great with grilled chicken wings, smoked pork spare ribs, or oven-baked pork chops for a complete meal. Then, wash it down with a pitcher of sweet iced tea.
More Refreshing Southern Salad Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
This blog post was originally published in July 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Cornbread Salad
Ingredients
- 8-10 strips bacon, diced
- 1 recipe homemade cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3-4 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1-½ cup green bell pepper, diced
- 2 14.5-ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can corn, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1-2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup green onions, diced
- ½ cup parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)
- homemade ranch dressing
Instructions
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then add chopped bacon, and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning as needed, or until it's brown and crisp.
- Assemble in a large glass bowl or divide between individual salad bowls. Add the cornbread first, then layer the tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, bacon, and onions. (Or arrange in your preferred order.)
- Top the salad with cheddar cheese (if desired), green onions, and parsley. Cover it and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. I usually wait to add the ranch dressing right before serving.
- When ready to enjoy, drizzle the ranch dressing over the top. Serve extra ranch dressing on the side if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- Swap kidney beans with pinto or black beans.
- Use a clear glass bowl if you want to show off the gorgeous layers.
- Feel free to stir the salad before serving to make sure everyone gets a bite of everything.
- Save the bacon drippings and stir them into the ranch dressing for a bacon ranch dressing twist.
- If making your cornbread from scratch, let it cool before cutting it into cubes so it doesn’t crumble as easily. And it’s a perfect make-ahead ingredient.
- Don’t worry about getting all the layers in order, especially if you decide to stir it at serving time.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Hi Imma, I love your blog and the creative ideas you come up with. This one though, in my eyes is a fail. I’ve never been a fan of bread in salad simply because unless you eat it immediately, the bread becomes mushy. And, mostly that doesn’t happen. Plus, if it’s left over, it’s even worse. The same would apply in this recipe. If I try this recipe, it would be without the cornbread at the bottom of your layers. Not even at the top. I’d keep the cornbread to be added as people are ready to consume the salad. I’m also not convinced that there’s enough flavor to give it “oompf” I’d like to see more herbs included, not just in the dressing. Sorry, giving this recipe a thumbs down as written.
Hi Jan, glad you love the recipes I share. This cornbread salad wasn’t soggy at all – a great alternative would be arrange the vegetables on a tray, in a separate layer.
Thanks for taking time out to share your thoughts with us.
Hola Imma; Ayyyyyyy! Que rico! Triffle Salado, me encantan. Besitos. Cuídate mucho
Looks interesting
It sure is tasty.