Corn bread salad

While we were in Pell City, Alabama, this past weekend, we went to the Pell City Steakhouse one day for lunch. I am sure steak might be a specialty at night, but for lunch it is the vegetable plate, served every day.

I always love a good southern vegetable plate and this was really good. They offered a few things I have never had. The first thing I had to try was Corn Bread Salad. I was pleased with the entire meal. From the top, clockwise, my plate consisted of corn bread salad, collards and cabbage, black-eyed peas and pear salad. I also could have had corn poppers and rice pudding with lemon sauce but it was the Corn Bread Salad I could not resist.

I thought I had heard about every kind of southern food there was, but not Corn Bread Salad.

It was just a bunch of ingredients, tossed in a mayonnaise based sauce, but this mix of southern ingredients was a taste of the south to me. It was nice to have a hearty cold salad on a very steamy day. I really enjoyed it and when I told my cousin how much I liked it, she was determined that I had the recipe when I left. I sure did appreciate it.

It wasn't the exact recipe as the salad in the restaurant, but it was pretty close. I made it yesterday to take to a family dinner and had to share it. First, I will give you recipe from the cookbook and then I will give you the recipe the way I made it. A little different, but more like the Pell City Steakhouse version.

Here's the original recipe from:

The Pell City Cookbook, 
submitted my Marlin Zane

Corn Bread Salad

1 envelope of Ranch-style dressing mix
1 16 oz. container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 nine inch pan of Mexican corn bread, crumbled (I used regular corn bread)
1 16-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup chopped bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 17-oz. cans whole kernel corn, drained
Tomato wedges (for garnish)

Combine first 3 ingredients

Place half of the corn bread into a large serving bowl. Layer half of the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, cheese, bacon and corn over corn bread. Top with half of the sour cream mixture. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Garnish, Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 8 servings

Corn Bread Salad
(my version)



1 16-oz. jar of Ranch dressing (the refrigerated kind)
1 cup of sour cream
1 nine inch pan corn bread, crumbled (I thought Mexican corn bread might be too spicy for many)

2 16-oz. cans pinto beans, drained
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

Combine first 2 ingredients

Crumble half of the corn bread into a large 9 x 13 serving dish (or trifle bowl). Layer 1 can of the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions and corn over corn bread. Top with half of the Ranch dressing mixture. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Top with cheese and crumbled bacon. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

In the restaurant, it wasn't layered, but put in a bowl and tossed with Ranch dressing. It had a little pickle relish, too, but I think it is better without relish. I think it looks prettier served as a layered dish because it is kind of white with the cornbread but it doesn't have to be layered.

Corn Bread Salad might be a standard recipe in Alabama but I have never had it here in Georgia. I would love it if someone would like to share their Corn Bread Salad recipe.