Y’all I love me a good Cornbread Salad. The textures go crazy in it. I mix my cornbread with a little bacon, tomatoes, beans, corn, and cheese plus I cream it up with a homemade buttermilk dressing. If you’ve got leftover cornbread, throw it into this. In the south, it’s bomb served at the cookout along with the potato salad and coleslaw.
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In the South, we’re pretty creative with our salads. From shrimp and eggs to potatoes and pickles, and even the occasional (and controversial) jello salad, we know how to mix it up. But this old-fashioned Cornbread Salad? Oh honey, it’s in a league of its own! Perfect for potlucks, family reunions, or just a lazy Sunday BBQ. I whip mine up with a handy box of Jiffy mix – super easy and just as tasty. But if you have the time, any of my homemade cornbread recipes will do just fine too.
Cornbread Salad Ingredient Notes
- Jiffy Cornbread: Make it according to the box for a quick base, or swap in your favorite homemade recipe.
- Pinto Beans: Black beans also work.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Monterey or another fave cheese also works.
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: Plain greek yogurt works as a swap.
- Buttermilk: You can make your own with whole milk and vinegar or lemon.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Soy sauce can stand in.
How To Make Cornbread Salad
Step 1: Mix The Salad Dressing
- Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic powder in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Slowly mix in buttermilk and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
- Stir in chives and parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside, or can be made up to 1 day ahead of time.
Step 2: Layer And Mix The Salad With The Dressing
- Place half of the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Combine half of all salad ingredients, except green onions, on top of the dressing.
- Toss together, coating all ingredients. Then, place the second half of the dressing on top.
- Add the second half of the salad ingredients on top.
- Toss gently to coat. Wrap and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with green onions, and serve!
Cornbread Salad
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 1 pan Jiffy cornbread made according to instructions, cooled, cubed
- 8 slices bacon cooked, drained, chopped
- 1 can corn rinsed and drained
- 1 can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup chopped green onion garnish
Instructions
For the Dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and garlic powder until well combined. Slowly mix in buttermilk and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
- Stir in chives and parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Set aside or can be made up to 1 day ahead of time.
For the Salad
- Grab a large bowl, place half of the prepared salad dressing in bottom of the bowl.
- On top of the salad dressing add half of all salad ingredients (half of the cornbread, bacon, corn, beans, etc.), except green onions, and toss together with the dressing, coating all ingredients.
- Add the rest of the salad dressing on top followed by the rest of the salad ingredients. Toss gently to coat. Wrap and chill for 2 hours in refrigerator.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with green onions, and serve immediately.
Notes
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- Don’t Use Warm Cornbread: Y’all, resist the urge to use warm, just-baked cornbread. Let that cornbread cool down completely, or even better, make it a day ahead. This bit of planning helps the cornbread keep its shape and texture when tossed with the other ingredients. Ain’t nothing sadder than a mushy salad!
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- Chop the Veggies Evenly: When chopping your veggies, aim for consistent sizes. This ain’t just about looking pretty – it ensures every forkful has a perfect blend of flavors and textures.
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- Give It More Time to Chill: Sure, you can chill this easy cornbread salad for a couple of hours, but if you’ve got the time, let it sit in the fridge overnight. This extra chillin’ time lets the flavors meld together even more.
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- Gentle Toss: When you’re mixing your cornbread and veggies with that creamy dressing, be gentle. Overmixing can make the cornbread crumble and the veggies lose their crispness.
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- Cook the Bacon Right: Cook your bacon until it’s just crispy enough. You want those bits to add a delightful crunch without being too hard.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Use Warm Cornbread: Let that cornbread cool down completely or make it a day ahead so it will keep its shape when adding to the salad and not get mushy ya dig.
- Chop the Veggies Evenly: Size all the veggies the same. I prefer to keep the size small.
- Give It More Time to Chill: A few hours is good but overnight is best so those flavors really come together.
- Gentle Toss: Overmixing can make the cornbread crumble and the veggies less crispy.
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Serving Suggestions
- BBQ: Serve it up with BBQ baby back ribs, honey BBQ wings, or BBQ meatballs.
- Beans and Greens: Pair this salad with a side of collard greens and a steaming pot of black-eyed peas or butter beans.
Recipe Help
Is it okay to make this salad a day ahead?
Absolutely. In fact, I prefer to make mine a day ahead so those flavors really mingle. Just keep it in the fridge in an airtight container, and give it a stir before serving. If it looks a little dry, you can always add more dressing.
Can I use store-bought dressing for this salad?
Yep store-bought ranch or creamy buttermilk dressing is an easy swap.
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I’ve never had cornbread salad, but it certainly looks delicious. I can’t wait to give your recipe a try.
This salad is like a southern version of Panzanella! I love the idea of kicking salad up with some delicious cornbread. And it came out as delicious as you said. I going to make this again for my potluck this weekend. Thanks so much!
Definitely a dinner I will make again. The family gobbled it up!
This turned out so good! I let it chill in the fridge overnight and I think this really gave it tons of flavor!
I love cornbread! And when you add chives, bacon, cheese and peppers? And you can prepare the day before?! This is definitely yelling spring picnic to me!
This was such a delicious dinner, thank you! Will make again!
I’m so excited to try this. I’ve never heard of cornbread salad but it looks and sounds delicious! Can’t wait to make it.
This was so delicious and everyone loved at home. Sinple ingredients and was so easy to make.
Thanks, doll!
I’ve never heard of this before. Perfect for a potluck gathering. Thanks!
What a wonderful way to use leftover cornbread. I am very excited to try this recipe. I bet it is super flavorful and comforting!