Sunday - Salad-a-Day #18

Cornbread Salad

 

I think my mother made the best cornbread in the world.  She always made it in a square pan and the corners were just the best!  I loved to have a cornbread and fresh tomato sandwich.  It was SO good.  Just take a square of cornbread and put a slice of fresh tomato in the middle and munch away.

Not only did my mother make the best cornbread, she also made the best biscuits in the world, too!  We had biscuits for breakfast almost every single day.  I would have one biscuit (no wonder I was so thin back then...), and I would have honey on one half and my mother's pear preserves on the other half.  I would want 2 or 3 biscuits now-a-days.  Isn't it fabulous how food brings back so many memories - mine are happy memories, and I hope that yours are, too.  I miss my mother every single day, but I know that she and my father are happy in Heaven together and that makes me happy.

I have been trying to lose some weight, and challenged myself to a salad-a-day for the month of May.  I have been really limiting "white" food.  But, I have been missing bread.  I can do without sugar, but I LOVE bread.  I was dreaming about cornbread this past week and even made some on this past Tuesday.  But, I only had one tiny piece.  I was dreaming about it again last night...  I woke up thinking about making a cornbread salad :)  Now, I have never had cornbread salad ever in my life and have honestly never heard of such.  Well, apparently other people have heard of such and there are lots and lots of recipes out there!!  I read lots of recipes and came up with my own version.  I remember my Home Economics teacher in high school telling us to make every recipe our own, so that is what I always try to do.  Thanks Mrs. Newton :)

 

A fresh pan of corn bread - nothing looks better :)

I posted a recipe for cornbread (here).

I cut the cornbread into pieces so that it would cool quicker. 

After it was completely cool, I crumbled it into a large bowl - trying not to nibble...

This recipe has bacon in it...cornbread and bacon - are you hungry yet??

Corn, beans, onion, sweet pickle relish, mayonaise, tomaotes, bell pepper & cornbread.

Well...it doesn't look outstandingly delicious, not bad, but it tastes SO, SO good!!

A big plate of cornbread salad!!  I could have eaten 5 times this much..

Cornbread Salad, a pretty pot of flowers on the patio table, and my cute patio owl.  What more could a girl want on a lovely Sunday afternoon?

It looks prettier in this picture :)

 

Cornbread Salad

1 pan of cornbread, crumbled (and let set out to dry out a bit - like an hour or so, at room temperature)

1 pound of bacon cooked crispy and crumbled

1-15oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed well

1 1/2 cups frozen corn, cooked until not frozen (2 minutes or so in the microwave does the trick)

1 small red onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped finely (I used orange, but you can use any color)

1 cup diced tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes) - salt and pepper after dicing to add more flavor

1 1/2 cups mayonaise

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

2 tablespoons of the sweet pickle relish juice

1 tablespoon bacon grease (you can omit this if you are cutting back... but don't)

Place cornbread, bacon, pinto beans, corn, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl mix combine remaining ingredients - mix well.  Add to cornbread mixture.  Toss to coat all ingredients with the dressing.  Cover and chill a couple of hours before serving, so the flavors get aquainted with each other.

Eat and enjoy!

 

I hope that you will give this salad a try.  It is wicked delicious!!!  I think it would be fabulous at a BBQ or potluck.  Or just on a Sunday afternoon, like we did.

I hope your day has been pleasant, and I hope you are ready for a new week!

Until tomorrow,

~ Joeby