Southern-Style Cornbread Salad

I’m a mid-west girl, but I consider my second home to be Tennessee.  My sister and I spent each summer on our grandparents chicken farm in middle Tennessee.  Now, when I say “chicken farm”, I don’t mean a few hens in a handmade coop.  I’m talking about thousands of chickens!   My grandparents raised chickens for Tyson, and it was definitely a sight to behold.  3 houses, each the size of a football field, full of chickens running everywhere!  Very impressive.

One of my favorite things about spending my summers in the South, was the food!  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  Red-ripe tomatoes, mounds of green beans, perfectly stewed potatoes and golden cornbread were always on the dinner table.  It doesn’t get much better than my Mammaw’s cornbread and cornbread salad!

(source)

This recipe for cornbread salad starts with a “skillet” of cornbread.  You cannot use sweet cornbread for this recipe; usually, southern-style cornbread isn’t sweet.  I like my cornbread both ways, but we are going to use the un-sweet kind this time.  Let’s start with the cornbread…

Southern-Style Cornbread Recipe, “Skillet Cornbread”

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening, for skillet (vegetable oil works also)
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons sugar, optional
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425˚.  Put oil or shortening in a 10-inch iron skillet and place in the oven to preheat while making the batter.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and sugar, if using.
3. In another bowl whisk together eggs, milk and butter.  Combine with dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are moistened.  Batter will be like a thick pancake batter.
4. Carefully, with heavy oven mitts, lift skillet out and turn to coat all of the inside surface with oil.  Pour batter into skillet and return to oven.  Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until browned.  A toothpick inserted in center should come out clean.

(source)

Let the cornbread cool before making the salad.

Southern-Style Cornbread Salad

• 1 skillet of cornbread
• 1 cup green peppers (chopped)
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 lb. bacon (cooked and crumbled)
• 1 can kidney beans (drained)
• 3 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup pickle juice

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crispy.
2. While bacon is cooking, crumble the cornbread into a large bowl.
3. Add green peppers, onion, tomatoes, kidney beans and bacon to the bowl with the cornbread.  Stir until it is incorporated together.
4. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise and pickle juice together.  Then pour over cornbread mixture and stir until everything is moist.  Refrigerate before serving.

I didn’t say this was healthy….I’m saying it’s yummy!!  You are going to love this!

---