This layered Cake Pan Cornbread Salad has layers of cornbread, bbq ranch dressing, beans, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and green onion!
CAKE PAN CORNBREAD SALAD
This ain't your Momma's cornbread salad! Southern cornbread salad is traditionally served in a big trifle dish with a dressing of mayonnaise and sour cream. We are going to take cornbread salad to the next level today! First of all, I'm layering it in a cake pan. I think this makes it so much easier for family and friends to serve themselves and also so they can take advantage of every layer of the salad. And then I am topping it with a super simple BBQ ranch Dressing.
TIPS FOR MAKING SOUTHERN CORNBREAD SALAD
- What I love about making this in a cake pan is you can get to and serve up all the layers much more easily and it makes for easier serving than a tall and deep trifle dish. However, this recipe can easily be converted to serve in a trifle dish.
- Feel free to switch out the ingredients with what you love. Don't like pinto beans? Switch them out for another bean or remove altogether.
- Store bought cornbread works just as good for this to save on time!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
cornbread mix
ingredients needed to make cornbread according to package
pinto beans
corn
Roma tomatoes
red bell pepper
cucumber
red onion
ranch dressing
barbecue sauce
romaine lettuce heart
shredded cheddar cheese
bacon
sliced green onion
HOW TO MAKE LAYERED CORNBREAD SALAD:
Top with a layer of pinto beans, followed by the corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, and onion.
In a medium bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce.
Pour evenly on top of salad.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Then dig in!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
FRESH TOMATO BACON PIE
CORNBREAD CHICKEN CASSEROLE
EASY CORNBREAD TACO BAKE
CHEESY BEEFY CORNBREAD CASSEROLE
STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD
ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD
CAKE PAN CORNBREAD SALAD
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz packets cornbread mix
- ingredients needed to make cornbread mix
- 1 14 oz can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 1 14 oz can corn drained
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cucumber chopped
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 1 ½ cups ranch dressing
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 romaine lettuce heart roughly chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
- sliced green onion
Instructions
- Prepare cornbread mixes according to package directions. Let cool and cut into 1" cubes. Layer cornbread on bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Top with a layer of pinto beans, followed by the corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, and onion.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce.
- Pour evenly on top of salad.
- Top with a layer of romaine lettuce. Note: You may need to gently press down this layer. Then top with cheddar cheese, bacon and green onion.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- What I love about making this in a cake pan is you can get to and serve up all the layers much more easily and it makes for easier serving than a tall and deep trifle dish. However, this recipe can easily be converted to serve in a trifle dish.
- Traditionally a cornbread salad is made with a sour cream and mayonnaise dressing. That is perfectly fine but it really doesn't offer much flavor to the dish. This combination of ranch dressing and BBQ sauce brings so much flavor!
- Feel free to switch out the ingredients with what you love. Don't like pinto beans? Switch them out for another bean or remove altogether.
- Store bought cornbread works just as good for this to save on time!
Nutrition
Originally published: June 2017
Updated & republished: May 2021
That looks absolutely delicious. I agree that it's pretty in a trifle dish but it's so much easier to get a taste of it all this way. ????
Thanks so much Carlee!
Great idea Brandie ! I was not raised knowing about this salad until I was an adult. I made one once and have to admit it wasn't my favorite. I think your idea of putting it in a cake pan and changing up the dressing is genius! I can't wait to try this YOUR way!
I hope you love it Vickie! We had friends over who had never eaten it before and they really enjoyed it (and I don't mind saying that they are very picky too...LOL) I always feel like if they like it then I did good! 🙂
Looks SO yummy!
Is there another salad dressing that would be as good as the ranch dressing? My family does not care for ranch dressing and this salad sounds so good!
Sondra, once you add the barbecue sauce, it really changes the whole flavor. So they might like it this way! 🙂
I’m using beefsteak tomatoes for mine...less juice and more flavor, but just my opinion.
I'm not fond of raw cucumbers so I replace them with a layer of diced celery; I also add a can of Rotel in place of the tomatoes.
How does this save? There are only two of us.
Rena in your case I would only make half the recipe. The cornbread gets too soggy after sitting for a day in the fridge. Or just keep all the ingredients separate until you're ready to make some and then just make it as you go.
How far ahead should this be assembled. I do not want it to be soggy , but don't want to fool making it at the last minute either ?
I probably wouldn't assemble earlier than the morning of the day you will serve it.
Thank you .. I am thinking to add this to my Memorial Day menu .