Thursday, October 6, 2011

South by Southwest Layered Cornbread Salad



Let me begin by saying that I am extremely disappointed with the new Facebook changes. 

I needed to get that off my chest.  Thank you for listening.

Now on to other matters.

Before soup season sets in, just one more cold salad.  This is one of my go-to potluck recipes that I've been making for probably six or seven years.  I adapted it from a Southern Living recipe (can you tell I love Southern Living yet?) and I never fail to bring home an empty bowl.  It's a real crowd pleaser, very easy to make, and what about those layers, eh?  Are they pretty or what? 

Here are my notes:

-I think this salad is best chilled for several hours before serving, so it's a great make-ahead dish.  Just don't make it too far ahead. 

-This is a great way to use up leftover cornbread.

-You could substitute green onions for the red onions, but I love that little bit of color.  And speaking of red onions, just why are they called red onions when they are clearly purple?  Who's bright idea was that, huh?

-Frozen, thawed corn would also work well.

-I think some freshly squeezed lime juice would be great between the layers.  I didn't do that, but it's a thought.

-Any kind of shredded cheese will do.  I used Colby jack this time.

-The dressing is pretty thick so I spoon it on in little globs, then use an offset spatula to smooth the globs into an even layer.  I've coined this method the glob-smooth method.  Only highly sophisticated cooking terminology on this blog, people.

-The cilantro is optional, and if I was making this only for myself, I'd definitely throw it in.  But this past week I took this salad to a revival at my church and I didn't want to offend the cilantro haters because I'm sensitive to others like that.  That and the fact that the cilantro at my grocery store looked like it had been through a hurricane.  If you are a cilantro lover like me, you might want to consider adding it to the dressing as well as sprinkling some on top.



South by Southwest Layered Cornbread Salad


1 (6-8 ounce) package cornbread mix, cooked according to package instructions and cooled (or your favorite recipe of cornbread)
2 cups mayonnaise
3 teaspoons Mexican chili powder or mild chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, optional
1/2 head torn iceberg lettuce or 2 heads Romaine lettuce chopped (or you can substitute a bag of torn lettuce)
1 (14-ounce) can shoepeg or yellow corn, drained
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cups shredded cheese (Colby jack, Mexican blend, cheddar, etc.)   

Crumble cornbread into fine crumbs; set aside.  Stir together the mayonnaise, chili powder, salt, and chopped cilantro, if desired.  In a 4-quart glass bowl or trifle dish, place half of the lettuce, then sprinkle with half of the cornbread crumbs.  Spread half of the mayonnaise mixture on the cornbread layer.  Layer half each of the corn, black beans, tomatoes, onions, and cheese.  Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.


Pin It!

26 comments:

  1. I love layered salad but the subtle changes and the cornbread make this one sound better than ever. I will definitely try this one. Beautiful photos Lorie!

    ReplyDelete
  2. really love your pictures... they are beautiful... will definitely try out the salad

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous! I love this salad and your photos...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gosh, thank you all! It's nice when people are nice. Can you tell I'm feeling emotional today?:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Lorie,
    I just found this blog and didn't realize you have two. For some reason your old link wasn't working and I thought you had taken a break. Love this blog and all your photos! Delcious recipe too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's almost too gorgeous to eat! Look at all of those gorgeous layers =)

    Can't wait to make this for a dinner gathering!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really like the sound of this cornbread layered salad!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ooh, pretty. You should patent "glob-smooth" before Martha hears of it. That's real slick terminology.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I feel ignorant for even having to ask this, but how do you make the dressing? I'm not quite sure what ingredients to mix up. Any help would be great. Making this today. By the way, it looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I re-read the the blog and found how to make the dressing. Please disregard my last post :). Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Can't wait to try this for our next potluck.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Corn chips would be great too!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What about using Greek yogurt or sour cream instead of mayo?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Saw this on Pinterest and was curious...just read the recipe and instructions and now I'm hooked! I've seen many cornbread salad recipes but none quite like this. Sounds delicious! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love this salad. I used sour cream instead of mayo and regular chili powder to give it a little kick. I think the sour cream fit with the southwestern flavors well :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I mixed salsa and mayo together to form a dressing. Easy and tasty. Found your recipe on Pinterest - thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Just pinned this. Man it looks great! Want to rush and get all ingredients right now!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I want to agree with you about facebook! Your site is so beautifully photgraphed the layer salad stopped me dead in my tracks the vegans in my family are going to love this one can't wait to make it I will add cilantro Thanks good luck!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi,
    I made this salad and my family LOVED it! A couple of my husband's friends were over and they loved it too! I am making it again for a church function and my husband said "Hopefully, they won't like it." How funny, he wants it all for us.

    Keep them Coming.

    Ginnie

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have been making a version of this for years. My cornbread salad layers cornbread rinsed pinto beans ,corn ,bell pepper ,onions ,tomatoes ranch dressing bacon and cheese and layer it all again. It is awesome everyone loves it.Wanted to share
    Della

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is my second time to make it. My family loves this!!! Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  22. How long does the cornbread stay dry...does it get soggy?...this looks like a nice option instead of the traditional layered salad I make....but my husband and I can't eat the whole salad at once....someone mentioned corn chips...they probably would get soggy to after a while...any thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  23. How long before the cornbread gets soggy?...this sounds great and nice change from the usual standard one I make and we really love...any ideas...I suppose the corn chips someone else mentioned would get soggy as well?....any thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  24. We had this Thanksgiving....it was delicious! I even ate it twice the next day and the cornbread wasn't soggy at all! ...great recipe as written no need for changes or substitutions...

    ReplyDelete
  25. I have made this and took it to a church function brought home an empty bowl. There were several people asking for tge recipe. Taste wonderful.

    ReplyDelete