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Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad

This Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad makes a spectacular edible centerpiece. It features layers of flavorful vegetables with a spicy ranch dressing.

Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Easy Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad Recipe

Salads like this Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad are a true favorite here in the South. This variation has evolved through the years in my kitchen because of my family’s love of Southwestern and Tex-Mex flavors. The fresh pico de gallo, is a must and takes this salad over the top. It also pairs beautifully with the classic flavors that inspired my take on cornbread salad. How to make simple Southwestern Cornbread Salad: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Cornbread – Prepare cornbread per instructions on package and cool. Divide into thirds.
  • Dressing – Prepare the dressing using 1 1/3 cup of milk or buttermilk and 1 cup of mayo. Whisk until fully combined, then chill until assembling the salad.
  • Make Pico de Gallo – Prepare pico de gallo: In a medium size mixing bowl, toss together diced tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno pepper. Add chopped cilantro, lime juice and season with garlic salt and pepper to your taste. Chill until assembling.
  • Assemble – Divide the ingredients into thirds.
  • Layer Salad in this Order – Begin with shredded lettuce, crumbled cornbread, bacon, corn and black beans, pico de gallo, a drizzle of dressing and shredded cheese. Repeat until all of the ingredients are used.
  • Reserve some pico de gallo, bacon crumbles, and cheese to garnish the top. Dollop plain sour cream on top as a garnish.
  • Refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to come together before serving.
  • Serve chilled as a side dish or with tortilla chips for dipping.
Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad

How to Make the Best Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad Recipe

  • Cornbread salad needs to be made ahead to allow the flavors to fully develop. Will the cornbread soften? Yes it does, but it doesn’t become mushy.
  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad: One box cornbread and muffin mix prepared per the instructions and cooled, dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (spicy or classic works!) plus milk or buttermilk and mayonnaise to make the dressing.
  • For the layers you’ll need prepared pico de gallo, Southwestern or Mexican corn with peppers, shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce and black beans (rinsed) cooked and crumbled bacon and sour cream for garnishing the top. You can also cut rounds of fresh jalapeno to add as a garnish.
  • Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: A pan for baking the cornbread, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a cheese grater, sharp knife and cutting board.
  • If you plan on serving this salad for supper it can be made during early morning for the best same day results. Otherwise, overnight is ideal for the full impact and flavor combination to shine.
  • I recommend using pico de gallo bacon crumbles, and cheese to garnish. So, theoretically, there are four layers of pico, bacon and cheese in my salad, but, who’s counting?
  • I’m pretty generous with the dressing when assembling the so I use plain sour cream on top as a garnish.
  • When serving salad that includes spicy or hot peppers, I always try to place a few visible as a garnish, letting people know what’s inside of the dish. So, a few rounds of jalapeno are placed on top of the sour cream for the finishing touch.
  • Store leftover Southwestern Cornbread Salad chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Please note, the lettuce may wilt.
Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad

More Southern Style Salads to Make

Salads can double as a side dish and a main dish depending on the ingredients included in the mix. More delicious salad recipe you may like to try:

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5 from 11 votes

Layered Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Prep Time25 minutes
Chill time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: easy-salad-recipes, layered-cornbread-salad, southwestern-cornbread-salad
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 479kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 7.5 oz box cornbread mix plus ingredients to prepare
  • 1 1.0 oz package dry Spicy Ranch dressing mix i.e. Hidden Valley
  • 1 1/3 cups milk or buttermilk
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • Pico de gallo:
  • 6 medium Roma tomatoes
  • 1 medium purple onion
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • garlic salt and black pepper to taste
  • Salad:
  • 2 12 oz packages frozen Southwestern Corn [i.e. Steamfresh] OR 2 [11 oz] cans Mexi-Corn drained
  • 1 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 small head iceberg lettuce shredded
  • 12 oz bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 cup sour cream [for garnishing the top]

Instructions

  • Cornbread: Prepare cornbread per instructions on package and cool. Divide into thirds.
  • Dressing: Prepare the dressing using 1 1/3 cup of milk or buttermilk and 1 cup of mayo. Whisk until fully combined, then chill until assembling the salad.
  • Prepare pico de gallo: In a medium size mixing bowl, toss together diced tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno pepper. Add chopped cilantro, lime juice and season with garlic salt and pepper to your taste. Chill until assembling.
  • To Assemble: Divide the ingredients into thirds.
  • Layer in this order: Begin with shredded lettuce, crumbled cornbread, bacon, corn and black beans, pico de gallo, a drizzle of dressing and shredded cheese. Repeat until all of the ingredients are used.
  • Reserve some pico de gallo, bacon crumbles, and cheese to garnish the top. Dollop plain sour cream on top as a garnish.
  • Refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to come together before serving.
  • Serve chilled as a side dish or with tortilla chips for dipping.

Notes

  • In the Summer months when fresh corn is abundant, I always use cooked fresh corn in this salad.
  • If you’re unable to find Spicy Ranch Dressing mix, you can use classic Ranch dressing mix. You can also use the same amount of bottled prepared Ranch dressing. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 975mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

73 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I had never heard of cornbread salad until I was an adult. Wow, what had I been missing out on! I love it, now!

  2. 5 stars
    Absolutely Amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing. This recipe was a hit, and I will make it for every BBQ. It was perfect with pulled pork.

  3. 5 stars
    I have a question about the print feature. When I chose that option it is very widely spaced and prints on four pages. Am I doing something wrong or is that how it is supposed to print. I prefer one page.

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