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

Printable Recipe

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.