Ingredients
Scale
Cornbread
- 1 (8.5 oz) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup milk
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 oz packet ranch seasoning and dressing mix
Salad
- 3 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 8 slices bacon, crispy cooked and crumbled
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Bake the cornbread. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a bowl, combine the Jiffy mix, egg, milk, and sour cream. Stir until just combined, then pour into a greased 8-inch baking pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely, at least 30 minutes, before crumbling.
- Mix the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning packet until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed. Set aside or refrigerate while the cornbread cools.
- Prep your vegetables. Chop the tomatoes and remove as much liquid as possible by letting them sit in a colander for 10 minutes. Finely dice the sweet onion, seed and dice the red bell pepper, and slice your green onions. Pat the drained corn dry with a paper towel.
- Cook the bacon. Lay bacon strips in a cold skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until deeply golden and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and crumble into rough pieces once cool.
- Crumble the cornbread. Once completely cooled, break the cornbread into rough 1 to 2 inch crumbles. Don’t make them too small or they’ll get lost in the layers.
- Layer the salad. In a large trifle dish or deep 9×13 pan, spread half the cornbread crumbles across the bottom. Add half the pinto beans, half the corn, half the tomatoes, half the onion, and half the bell pepper. Spoon half the dressing over the top and spread evenly.
- Repeat the layers. Add the remaining cornbread, then the remaining beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper. Spread the rest of the dressing across the top as the final layer.
- Finish and garnish. Scatter the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the dressing layer, then top with the crumbled bacon and sliced green onions.
- Chill before serving. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors meld and the dressing soaks slightly into the layers. Serve cold, scooping down through all the layers.
Notes
- Don’t assemble too far ahead. The best window is 1 to 2 hours before serving. Any longer and the cornbread can get soggy.
- Use full-fat mayo and sour cream for the best dressing texture and flavor.
- Drain your tomatoes well. Excess tomato juice is the main culprit behind a watery salad.
- If making ahead the night before, hold the bacon separately and add it just before serving so it stays crispy.
- The Jiffy mix with sour cream gives the cornbread a slightly denser, moister crumb that holds up better in the salad than a drier cornbread.
- You can double this recipe easily for a larger crowd. Just use a bigger dish and keep the same layering order.
- Leftovers keep for about 24 hours in the fridge, but it’s definitely best the day it’s made.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes (for cornbread, if homemade)
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Bake (after cornbread preparation)
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg