Cornbread in a Salad?

Yes! Maybe this has been around for a long time, but I just had it for the first time a few months ago. Then it started popping up at every gathering I attended. A friend gave me her recipe, which used the sweet Jiffy cornbread mix. Her salad was great, but the Jiffy mix isn't my favorite, so I made a salad using with my own recipe for homemade cornbread. It was great! (Too great actually. It is a little addictive, and I ate way too much!) Then another friend told us recently that she uses Martha White jalapeno cornbread mix in her cornbread salad. That sounds good, too, but I haven't tried it yet. My recipe is essentially the same basic recipe that seems to be going around lately with a few substitutions that I prefer. If you have a recipe for cornbread salad that you love, let us know at thesoutherndish@gmail.com.

Cornbread Salad
1 recipe Favorite Cornbread (see recipe list to the left or try one of the mixes mentioned above), cooked and cooled
1 packet ranch flavor dry salad dressing, such as Hidden Valley
8 oz . sour cream (I like Daisy light)
1 c. mayo (light is also okay here)
2 16 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or pinto beans if you prefer; or one of each)
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped green onions, both white and green part
2 cans white corn (kernel not cream style), drained (I think it has a better texture than yellow)
1 or 2 cans diced tomatoes, very well drained (I like a lot of tomatoes, but you may not.)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I like Kraft 2 %)
8-10 slices of bacon, cooked crisply, drained well and crumbled, optional
Extra cheese and bacon for garnish, optional.

In a smallish bowl, mix ranch dressing mix, sour cream, and mayo and reserve. In a medium-size bowl, stir together beans, peppers, onions, corn, and tomatoes. Using a very large bowl layer the cornbread, vegetable mixture, cheese, dressing mixture, and bacon (a little cornbread, a little of the other stuff, a little cornbread, a little of the other stuff; it doesn't have to be pretty; this just makes it easier to stir up later). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before serving, stir well and top with a little extra cheese and bacon if desired.

Note: I have several vegetarian friends who love Southern food. They like this dish a lot without the bacon.