Fried chicken, peach cobbler and cornbread are just a few of the delights that come to mind when thinking of Southern cooking. Cornbread dates to pre-colonial days, with its origins in Native American cuisine. Over the centuries, the simple batter bread has been creatively adapted to produce a wide variety of flavorful dishes. Recipe courtesy of The Southern Lady Cooks recipe blog.
Serves 10-12
6 cornbread muffins crumbled (you can use The Southern Lady Cooks recipe, a cornbread mix or your own recipe)
1 small onion, chopped (can use green onions or purple onions)
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 15.5-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (can use pinto beans or any kind you prefer)
6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (can use ham or just about any cooked meat)
1 cup fresh corn kernels, cooked (can use frozen or canned)
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped (can add pickles)
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (I use sharp cheddar)
2/3 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1/3 cup ranch dressing
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1. Layer the first nine ingredients in a large salad bowl. Combine the mayonnaise and ranch dressing with the salt and pepper. Mix into the salad.
2. Place salad in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before serving. Makes 10 cups.
NOTE: You can add olives, boiled eggs and any spices you like. You can just use ranch dressing, mayo or any combination of salad dressings. This is a wonderful dish to take to gatherings or picnics.
Focusing on Southern dishes and old-fashioned cooking, The Southern Lady Cooks was started more than 15 years ago by Judy Yeager as a way to share family recipes and stay busy after retirement. Her expertise and simple dishes were a hit! Now, the blog is a family affair, with Judy’s twin daughters, Leigh Walkup and Anne Walkup, running the full-time business. Based in Georgetown, the site reaches millions of home cooks each month. Check out thesouthernladycooks.com for more of the family’s delicious recipes, and experience down-home nostalgia and laid-back lifestyle tips with Leigh and Anne’s digital magazine, Front Porch Life, frontporchlifemagazine.com.