Cornbread Salad Recipe
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What do you get when you combine garden-fresh veggies, crispy crumbled bacon, homemade cornbread, and ranch dressing? This amazing crowd-pleasing Southern cornbread salad.
Cornbread salad is a wonderful old-fashioned Southern recipe that you need in your life! Thanks to follower, Linda Wood for sharing her amazing recipe with me. It’s kind of in the same family as potato salad and definitely something you’d expect to find at a family reunion, potluck, or barbecue. Featuring garden-fresh vegetables, crispy bacon, homemade cornbread, and a mix of ranch dressing and mayo, I encourage everyone to make this cold and creamy salad this summer.
Now, one of the key ingredients of this salad is cornbread. While you can simply use a package of cornbread mix, here is my recipe for hot water cornbread and my dixie cornbread recipe if you’re feeling traditional.
Recipe Ingredients
- Onion
- Corn
- Mayo
- Tomatoes
- Bell pepper
- Dry ranch dressing mix (optional)
- 1 pan crumbled cornbread
- Crisp fried bacon
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Cornbread Salad Recipe Step By Step
Pour the ranch dressing mix into a bowl with mayo.
You can skip this step if you just really like mayo. But if you’re like me and want a little something else or if you just love the taste of ranch, do what I’m doing here.
Then stir it up.
Dice up your tomato, onion, bell pepper, and drain your can of corn.
Dump all that in a big bowl.
Crumble up your cornbread and dump that on top of the veggies.
Add in your crumbled bacon.
Stir well.
Add in the salad dressing mix. We went a little crazy with the mayo this time because my son likes that extra mayo, but feel free to keep it at 2 cups if you don’t want as much mayonaise.
Stir that up really good until well coated. Now, cornbread salad is even better when made ahead of time, so cover your dish and refrigerate for several hours or until chilled well.
Garnish with beautiful sliced red tomatoes and serve cold.
DELICIOUS
Storage
This salad will last up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge. However, the cornbread does start to get mushy after only one day, so if this isn’t your style it’s best to avoid leftovers. Like most salads, you shouldn’t freeze cornbread salad.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe is great for using up leftover cornbread. Cut the recipe in half to make a smaller portion if you like as well.
- The secret ingredient in my easy cornbread salad recipe is bacon grease! If you saved any bacon grease from your bacon, add one teaspoon to your salad dressing, but don’t tell anyone because they’ll react as if you’d told them you didn’t like mayonnaise! I’m not going to put this in the recipe so only the folks who read this part of the post will know this little secret ingredient! It totally adds an extra KAPOW of flavor.
- One of the best things about this salad is that it’s so easily customizable. First, use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Then, don’t be afraid to add drained pinto beans, shredded cheddar cheese, diced pickles, black olives, or even jalapenos if you prefer a kick! You can even top with a sprinkle of green onion if you have some handy.
- For the best flavor, I recommend making this salad between one and six hours before serving.
Recipe FAQs
What goes well with cornbread salad?
Serve your salad alongside other popular Southern mains like fried chicken, pork chops, or slow-roasted beef brisket .
You may also enjoy these cornbread recipes:
Mexican Cornbread Recipe by Mama
Keto Cornbread Recipe Southern Plate
Peaches and Cream Cornbread with Maple Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pan cornbread see recipe here or use a package of cornbread mix
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 15 ounce can whole kernel corn drained
- 1 pound bacon cooked until crisp and crumbled
- 2-3 cups mayonnaise I used two
- 1 oz Package ranch dressing mix
Instructions
- Bake cornbread. Once cool, crumble and place in a large bowl. Add in onions, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, corn, and bacon. Stir until well combined.1 pan cornbread, 1 cup diced onions, 1 bell pepper, 1 cup diced tomato, 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, 1 pound bacon
- In a separate bowl, place mayo and ranch mix (if using). Stir until well blended. Skip this step if just using plain mayo.2-3 cups mayonnaise
- Add mayonnaise dressing mixture to salad and stir until fully mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours before serving. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
I’m happier than a bird with a french fry!
~Unknown, but an awfully good way to feel!
Mine just made it to the fridge 5 minutes ago, but not without me grabbing a spoonful first. I couldn’t wait! Why, oh why, is this so delicious?! I used 2 boxes of Jiffy, 1/2 bell pepper, 1 tomato, 1/2 yellow onion, and 1 can of corn. I realized I only had a cup of mayo so I subbed 8 oz of sour cream. The ranch was a great add. Taking this to the church potluck in the morning. Thinking it will be a hit (and if not, bonus, more for me!) Thanks for the recipe. This one sounded the closest to what I remembered it being.
Would it be ok or even good to do Italian dry dressing with mayo instead of ranch?
I have never tried it but I would love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!!
Do you use sweet cornbread or not? I’m trying to figure out what would work best..
Thanks!
Any cornbread will work just fine 🙂
I dried some Cornbread, as I did not want to waste it. Remembered a friend feeding me Cornbread Salad and wondered if it would work in such a recipe. Looked around for Recipes but was drawn to yours because of your ‘Family Reunion’ Story. Brought back sweet memories. We come from a Large Family and still have them, although most of our Relatives are no longer from Greek Descendants, who owned Restaurants, but the Food is a delectable Feast, and we enjoy getting together often.
Back in the Day our Family Visits throughout the year began with Adults spending hours around the Table after the Meal, chatting and nibbling. During the Summers we too have adventures with Farm fresh meals. Cousins also enjoyed being Chickens in the Nest we made from Hay, Fresh raked Grass, or leaves. We also enjoyed ourselves, playing behind the Tall Lattice under the Front Wrap around Porch. Hmmm… come to think of it a lot of that is still happening in my Elder years… love growing our own and sharing.
Great Blog Post…. drew me in. Love your Idea with the Bacon grease, but am considering Miracle Whip, perhaps with a little Hellman’s as an alternative over the Ranch and dried Cornbread, will try your Recipe once I have a fresh Batch made. Want to use up some Heirloom Tomatoes and Family is coming by tomorrow, having Evacuated from the Flooding down South, we still have a large Family. Including Great Grandchildren…. ahh the joys of life!
Pinned this Blog post to Pinterest and FB btw…
Thank you so much Bren, it has just made my day hearing from you!! I hope you enjoy the cornbread salad!!!
can you please tell me how many people this recipe feeds I need enough for 8 to 10 people Im not sure if I need to dbl this recipe thanks looks so yummy will be my first time trying this!!!
Hi April!! That really depends on the people eating it. I find that one serving varies a great deal from person to person but it should serve 8-10 people, especially if you dip the servings yourself.
The first time I tried it was at a dinner supplied by a lovely lady when my dad died. The meal consisted of pulled pork and cornbread salad and the best part of the meal was the cornbread salad. It was paired down to contain only cornbread, kidney beans, cheese, and a thick ranch dip spread on top. It was so good, I went for seconds. The next day, I had leftovers and it was even better. I’ve dreamed of it since and will have to try someone’s variation. I love bacon. Trust me when I tell you that this doesn’t need the bacon.
I hope you get the chance to have it again soon, only under better circumstances. I agree that it doesn’t “need” bacon, but oh my goodness, wait until you try it with bacon!!!
I use some chopped cucumber in mine and it is delicious.
Ohhh, I bet that was good!!