Easy Southern Cornbread Salad is layer after layer of pure old-fashioned goodness with chunks of cornbread surrounded by romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes, ham, bell pepper, onion, celery, and, of course, shredded cheese.
4cupsshredded romaine lettuceabout two medium-size heads, or 10 ounces
2cupschopped ham
1large bell pepperseeded and chopped
1large tomatoseeded and chopped
½cupred onionminced
½cupcelerydiced
2cupsshredded cheddar cheese
4slicesbacon cooked and crumbled
2scallionsdiced
Instructions
Add the dry ranch dressing mix, buttermilk, and mayonnaise to a small bowl. Stir to combine and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
Add half of the cornbread to a clear glass trifle dish about 8-inches wide and five inches tall and spread out evenly.
Top with half of the romaine lettuce.
Sprinkle half of the ham evenly over the lettuce, top with half of the bell pepper, half of the tomato, half of the onion, half of the celery, and finish with half of the cheese.
Spoon half of the dressing evenly over the cheese. Repeat all of the layers, starting with the cornbread and finishing with the remaining dressing. Then, spread the dressing out to completely cover the salad.
Top with the crumbled bacon and scallions.
Cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours or up to 24 hours.
Video
Notes
I like and use the dry ranch dressing. However, any purchased or homemade dressing your family likes works too. But be sure to substitute a thick creamy dressing. Vinaigrettes or thin dressings will not work.The easiest way to seed your tomato is to cut it in half, cut the core out, and squeeze out all the juice, seeds, and gelatinous material and discard it. Then it's ready to chop. If you don't seed your tomato first, your salad will be watery.For the best results, make it at least eight hours before you plan to serve it to allow the flavors to meld together. It's even better if you can wait 24 hours.Leftovers should be stored tightly covered in your refrigerator. Cornbread salad is best 24 hours after it's made. After that, it starts heading downhill. It will still taste fine for a day or two after that but won't look quite as good as it did initially.You can use any color bell pepper you like in this recipe.This salad lends itself to layering and looks beautiful in a clear trifle dish. However, many folks toss everything in a bowl and mix it all up before serving.