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!
Recipe Ingredients
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
Tips and Tricks
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
