This easy cornbread salad recipe is basically a Southern Panzanella. Traditionally made as a layered salad, this southern staple is is loaded with colorful veggies, cheddar cheese, crispy crumbled cornbread and an herby lime buttermilk dressing.
What is it?
Whether it's the main dish or you're serving it as a classic southern side dish, this easy cornbread salad recipe is a delicious combination of southern flavors that your family will love.
To show off all of the beautiful colors, this recipe is sometimes made as a layered salad. If you want to go that route, it's super easy - just get trifle bowl or a trifle dish and add all of the ingredients in layers.
From the yellow crumbled cornbread to the bright red cherry tomatoes, pink pickled red onions, and bright green arugula, each layer is loaded with goodness and vibrant color.
And if this is your first time trying my easy cornbread salad recipe, then get excited - you're about to be in love! This delicious combination of flavors is unforgettable!
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the Buttermilk Lime Dressing
If you don't feel like making it yourself, feel free to use store bought buttermilk ranch dressing. I recommend thinning it out with some lime juice.
- Mayo: If you're not a fan of mayo, sour cream works just fine.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the star of my dressing but as I mentioned before, you can easily buy buttermilk ranch dressing from the store and doctor it up.
- Lime Juice: Lemon juice or red wine vinegar work well in its place.
- Chives: If you don't have chives, you could use green onions.
- Dill: Fresh dill adds so much flavor but you could use dried dill or parsley.
- Mint: I know mint isn't for everyone so if you're looking for a substitution, I recommend just leaving it out... but I swear it's the secret ingredient that really wows everyone at my family reunions.
- Basil: Basil is also optional but it adds so much flavor so I'd keep it if possible.
- Honey: You could also use a splash of maple syrup or agave or even a pinch of sugar. Just need a little something sweet to balance out the acidity in this dressing.
For the Salad
- Sweet Cornbread: Leftover cornbread is best but you can use a box of jiffy cornbread mix to quickly make homemade cornbread if you don't have any.
- Olive Oil: Any neutral oil will work just fine.
- Arugula: If you're not a fan of arugula, no worries! You can swap it out for another leafy green such as butter lettuce, iceberg lettuce, romaine or even spinach.
- White Sharp Cheddar Cheese: I love using white cheddar in this recipe but you could use regular sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, or even colby jack cheese if you wanted.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Large tomatoes (or any type of fresh tomatoes) work just fine in place of cherry tomatoes.
- Bacon: Salty Bacon is key to balancing out delicious salad! If you don't feel like frying bacon, you can definitely use bacon crumbles. I like to use the thick cut bacon bits by Black Label. And if you don't eat bacon, definitely leave it out and add more cheese. There are still enough ingredients to make this southern cornbread salad recipe delicious.
- Avocado: If you're not into avocado or don't want it to turn brown because you're leaving this out at a family gathering, then you can definitely leave it off. I just love the creamy texture it adds.
- Pickled Red Onions: If you don't feel like pickling your red onions, you could use a regular red onion, sweet onion, yellow onion or white onion.
- Additional Ingredients: You can use an array of fresh veggies like green pepper, red bell pepper, pinto beans, black beans, black eyed peas, corn kernels, and so on.
How to make it
- Make the Creamy Dressing: Add all of your ingredients to a small bowl and mix. Season the salad dressing mix with salt and pepper to taste. If you're making it ahead of time, place it in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready. If you don't want to make the dressing by hand, no worries. Grab your favorite store bought buttermilk dressing and thin it out with some lime juice.
- Crisp up the Cornbread: For the best results, I recommend you crisp up the leftover cornbread. All you need to do is tear it into pieces and crumbles. Then place it on a baking sheet or a wire rack over a baking sheet. Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and salt. Place it under the broiler and let the corn bread pieces get crispy and dark golden brown. If you don''t do this step, the crumbled cornbread will essentially turn into mush. This is one of my issues with the traditional trifle dish version of this recipe.
- Choose your Serving Bowl: Since this delicious salad has so many different colors, I recommend making it in a glass bowl, a wide serving platter like this one or trifle bowl. Basically anything that can show off all of the different colors!
- Dress the Greens: Place the greens in a large bowl, and toss with half of the dressing. Taste and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper if needed.
- Add Fresh Veggies & Toppings: Now it's time to add the toppings. Pile on the toasted cornbread, the shredded white sharp cheddar cheese, the fresh tomatoes, salty bacon crumbles, creamy avocado and tart pickled red onion. If you're serving this as a layered salad - just make sure that the layers go up against the sides of the trifle dish. This way, all the beautiful colors are shown off. If you're adding additional ingredients like green bell pepper, black-eyed peas, corn kernels, red pepper, etc, do so now.
- Final Dressing: Once everything is assembled, it's time to add the rest of the creamy dressing,. After that, this perfect dish is ready to be served.
What goes with Cornbread Salad?
In my family, this is one of the best things at our family reunions. Because of that, I love serving it as a great side dish among other with potluck style recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Funeral Sandwiches
- Pimento Cheese Potato Salad
- Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
- Crockpot Collard Greens
- Black-eyed Peas Salad
- Caramelized Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham
Recipe
Southern Cornbread Salad Recipe with Buttermilk Dressing
This easy cornbread salad recipe is basically a Southern Panzanella. Traditionally made as a layered salad, this southern staple is is loaded with colorful veggies, cheese, crumbled cornbread and an herby lime buttermilk dressing.
Ingredients
For the Buttermilk Lime Ranch Dressing**
For the Cornbread Salad
- 15 oz Cooked Cornbread torn into big chunks
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- pinch Salt
- 5oz container Arugula
- 1 cup White Cheddar shredded
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- ½ cup Crispy Bacon crumbled
- 1 Large Avocado cubed
- ½ cup Pickled Red Onions
- 1 recipe Buttermilk Lime Dressing
Instructions
- **To begin, you can either make the dressing or use your favorite store bought buttermilk ranch and loosen it up with a bit of lime juice. I know there are a ton of ingredients required to make it, so this is a great alternative. You could also use 2 cups of sour cream, a packet of ranch dressing mix, and a squeeze of lime if you wanted a simpler dressing.
- To make my creamy dressing, add all of the salad dressing ingredients to a mason jar or bowl and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.
- Turn your ovens broiler on. Add torn cornbread chunks to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Place in the oven and let the pieces get crispy and golden brown. Remove from heat and let it cool down.
- Meanwhile, add the arugula to a large bowl and toss with half the dressing.
- Add the toasted cornbread on top then add the shredded white cheddar, halved cherry tomatoes, bacon, avocado and pickled red onions.
- Top with the remaining dressing and then serve.
Notes
**If you'd rather not make this salad dressing mixture, you can buy buttermilk ranch dressing and squeeze a lime into it to loosen it up. I love this fresh herb buttermilk salad dressing but I know that's a lot of ingredients to buy!
You could also use 2 cups of sour cream, a packet of ranch dressing mix, and a squeeze of lime if you wanted a simpler dressing. You will only need about half of this amount if so.
Did you make this recipe?Tag me on instagram @grilledcheesesocial so I can see it!
Toney Bosco
Your blog brightened my day.