Southern Cornbread Salad

Southern Cornbread Salad is a delightful dish that transforms cornbread into a colorful and flavorful dish. This southern-inspired recipe offers a unique twist on the traditional salad and combines crumbled cornbread with fresh, crisp vegetables that create satisfying and unique textures and flavors. Whether served as a side dish or a light lunch, the dish will captivate your taste and elevate your meal with its comforting appeal. 

What Is Cornbread Salad

Southern Cornbread Salad is a crowd-pleasing layered salad with bacon, cheese, and cornbread that comes together quickly for all of your gatherings. Perfect for any time of the year.

Have you heard of Cornbread Salad? If you answered no, then you are missing out.

Cornbread salad is a delightful and unique dish that incorporates crumbled cornbread as a base with a variety of vegetables, cheese, and bacon. The result is a layered salad with tremendous taste and textures, including the cornbread’s sweetness and the dressing’s creaminess. This salad is typically assembled in a serving dish with the dressing spread between the layers. The salad is often chilled before serving, allowing the flavors to meld.

My sister has been making this recipe for years and is in charge of making it for every get-together. The first time I had this dish, I was hooked. This cornbread salad is fantastic. Once you taste it, you will see exactly what I mean. Your family will request it at every get-together, potluck, or cookout. I know my family does!

Why This Dish Is Fabulous

This easy cornbread salad recipe is fabulous for several reasons. First, it can transform a simple pan of cornbread into a refreshing salad and showcase bright and fresh ingredients, resulting in a colorful and beautiful presentation. This dish appeals to various tastes, making it perfect for many occasions. Whether served at a picnic, summer gathering, holiday, or weeknight dinner, this great dish will always stand out as a winner.

What Are The Ingredients In Cornbread Salad?

Ranch Dressing Mix – This prepackaged mix combines delightful elements to create a classic ranch flavor that adds a nice kick to the salad.

Sour Cream & Mayonnaise – These ingredients are combined with the ranch dressing mix to create a rich, tangy, and creamy dressing while providing a smooth base for the salad.

Cornbread – Cornbread is the heart of the dish with a crumbly texture. A  pan of sweet cornbread is quite delicious.

Pinto Beans and Whole Kernel Corn – These ingredients bring a heartiness and freshness to the salad. Black beans may be substituted for pinto beans.

Tomatoes – Diced fresh tomatoes are needed for this dish. They add a juicy and refreshing component to the dish.

Bell Peppers – A  red bell pepper is needed for the mix’s sweet, crisp, and colorful flavor. A green bell pepper may also be used.

Onion – Red, sweet, or yellow onions will work nicely for this recipe. Sliced green onions can be added to the top.

Shredded Cheese – Cheddar cheese adds richness to the dish. Sharp cheddar cheese may be used.

Bacon – Crispy bacon adds crunch and smoky flavor to the dish.

Cornbread, pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onion, cheese, and bacon are layered in a casserole dish with creamy ranch dressing. Delicious! I mean, if it has ranch dressing in it, then it must be good!

How to Make Cornbread Salad

The steps for making cornbread salad are quite easy, but for complete instructions, see the printable recipe card below.

• Make the cornbread.
• Chop the vegetables.
• Mix the dressing.
• Layer all the ingredients in a casserole dish.
• Top with cheese and bacon.
• Cover and chill.

A Southern Cornbread Salad

I love all of the layers in this salad, and it’s easy to customize to your preferences. Just add or subtract ingredients according to what you like and dislike. Just make sure you add the dressing mixture in the middle of the salad and on top so that everyone gets a taste of that delicious ranch-flavored dressing. And–don’t be stingy with the bacon. I could literally eat my weight in bacon.

My Skillet Cornbread Recipe is super easy with simple ingredients. Check out my Chicken and Dressing recipe for a simple cornbread that is great for this salad.

This salad is made with homemade cornbread. You could certainly prep all of the ingredients the day before and refrigerate until you are ready to prepare your salad. This would make the salad come together faster and save you some time. It can be eaten immediately, but it is better if you can refrigerate it for a few hours before serving.

Let’s Talk Cornbread

This dish is named for the cornbread used in this salad. A big batch of cornbread is needed for this dish. Feel free to make homemade cornbread, as I usually do. But if needed, Jiffy has some amazing-tasting cornbread mix that would be fine for this recipe. If you want to make a skillet of homemade cornbread, here is an easy recipe I use for Chicken and Dressing. 

Cornbread Salad could be served as a meal, but at my house, it is served as a side dish. You can serve it all mixed up or keep it in layers.

My Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread is great for a side with soups. You could even use this recipe with this salad to give it a slight kick.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Feel free to get creative and tailor the recipe to your taste preferences. Cornbread salad is a versatile dish, a delicious combination of flavors,  and one of our family favorites.

Fresh Cornbread – Start with fresh cornbread for the best texture and flavor.

Chill before Serving – For best results, chill the assembled salad a few hours before serving. This gives all of the flavors time to meld.

Drain Vegetables Well – Make sure to drain all of the vegetables well before adding to the salad.

Spicy Kick – Add some diced jalapenos for more of a spicy kick.

Adjust the Dressing – For a lighter version, replace the ranch dressing with a Greek yogurt-based dressing.

Add Chicken – Include some grilled chicken for some added protein.

What Is The Best Way To Serve This Salad

This is a dish that tends to spark conversation and is always enjoyed by all. My family looks for this dish at all of our family gatherings. This is one of our favorite recipes.

There are several ways to present this salad. Serve it in a casserole dish or layered in a trifle bowl, large bowl, or a clear bowl to display the layers.

Add some crumbled bacon and extra shredded cheese to the top before serving.

​If serving this at a large gathering, you might make several dishes or serve it in individual portions, cups, or small bowls.

Provide extra dressing on the side.

When To Serve This Dish

Cornbread salad can be served on various occasions and works as a year-round side dish. This is a super easy go-to dish, a great recipe, and quite delicious. The key to serving this dish is the versatility. Here are some suggestions on when to serve this dish:

Summer Cookouts

Family Gatherings

Perfect Potluck Dish

Holiday Celebrations

Casual Dinners

Tailgating Parties

A Family Reunion

How To Store Leftovers

Storing leftover cornbread salad is very important for maintaining freshness. Store all leftovers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What To Serve With Southern Cornbread Salad

Oven Baked BBQ Ribs

Southern Fried Pork Chops

Roasted Turkey

Recipe FAQs

More Salad Recipes

Southern Classic Potato Salad

Southern Tomato Cracker Salad

Classic Macaroni Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Easy Corn Salad with Jalapenos

Thanks, Angie, for always making your family happy with this dish!

I bet your family will request this salad as much as mine!

If you are looking for more delicious salad recipes, try Caprese Salad. This is a beautiful and simple dish to serve at a holiday meal or to your dinner guest. It tastes fresh and is so easy to prepare. Bacon and Broccoli Salad is still one of my favorite salads to eat. Again, there is bacon in the dish, and you just can’t go wrong with bacon.