*Although I made this cornbread salad for a summer meal, it would also be perfect for those autumn picnics!
“I’m coming home for the mid-summer break and bringing a few friends who are staying somewhere else” turned into, “Um, Mom? Is it okay if everyone stays at our house? How many? Um . . . eight. No, wait, ten.”
So last week, I cooked several meals (they went out a lot) for ten college kids and stepped over all their things scattered about the house. It really wasn’t as bad as it sounds, because they were the NICEST kids I’ve ever seen. They got up in the morning and cooked for themselves . . . and CLEANED UP afterwards!
***Please know I don’t usually serve popcorn with dinner, but I had it out as a snack for them earlier and it somehow got moved to the table. I just had to add that explanation in case Miss Manners-Menu was reading.
Other than the giant plate of ribs and Conecuh sausage, their favorite thing was the little jars of cornbread salad. The girls oooed and ahhed over their cuteness, (I never have anyone at my house to ooo and ahhh over my cuteness, so I was in heaven) and the boys gobbled them down and said they were delicious.
Two are missing from this photo, but aren’t they adorable? Their orthodontists should be so proud!
Earlier in the day, I had baked cornbread, Â and while it was cooling . . .
made the dressing by combining low-fat Duke’s Mayonnaise with sour cream and Hidden Valley Dry Spicy Ranch mix. I think using the spicy version is what made this so good. I like the light mayonnaise, but can’t tolerate the light sour cream. There’s just something perfect about real sour cream that shouldn’t be messed with.
After putting the jars in an aluminum pan to catch the spills, I started filling them up, and although I had a few ears of fresh corn, I needed much more, so I ran to Piggly Wiggly and bought one of those GIANT cans of corn. (The full directions for the salad are at the bottom).
All the students have different jobs at the camp. Lifeguards, group leaders, recreation staff, photographer, kitchen staff and my son is the videographer. They manage boats, zip-lines, horses and rock-walls, and hundreds of children. During this much needed rest, they laughed, relaxed in their ENOs down by the bay, and got along so well, it was fun to watch.
The kids spent the week exploring Fairhope and going to the beach, then headed back to finish their summer duties.
Add a little patriotic dessert, and they were truly, “happy campers.”
Here’s how I made the salad. I’m sure it doesn’t matter the order in which you layer things in the jars, but I would recommend not putting the dressing next to the cornbread, or it will become soggy. And soggy cornbread is just downright sad!
Layered Cornbread Salad:
Layer in jars:
crumbled cornbread, corn, pinto beans, crumbled bacon, chopped green onion, roasted red peppers, chopped green peppers, shredded cheddar cheese, halved grape tomatoes and dressing.
Dressing:
combine 1 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise (I used the light version)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 package dry spicy ranch mix
*
Mmmm! Happy second-half of the summer!
Sounds like you were a wonderful hostess with the most-est. A holiday to remember for these college kids. Thanks for sharing the cornbread salad recipe. I will have to give it a trial run…looks like something good for Family Reunion menu.3
Malinda in Mississippi.
I forgot to mention that I’ve made this salad before in a big trifle bowl and it looked beautiful. Perfect for a big group like a family reunion!
This sounds wonderful!! And I’m so glad you made the comment about the trifle bowl. I was just about to ask if it could be made as one big salad (not that the mason jars aren’t adorable.) Thanks for sharing!
Bigger is better! (For salads, at least!)
It all looks delicious, and they look as if they enjoyed it immensely. I know you know this, but soak up every moment like that. They will be married or working, and you will miss days like that.
Sandy
That is the absolute truth!
How much dressing per jar please. It looks so good. I plan to try.
I officially put a dollop in the middle and another smidgen on the top. Everyone likes different amounts of dressing, so I just averaged what I thought would be enough. Does that help, or frustrate?
Last Spring break I had 11 from U of Ark. What fun [for me ] & rumor says month later they were still talking about it. Helping them built memories, they won’t forget your hospitality .
Well, now that I know what I’m doing, I think I could handle one more! It’s funny how a college group is somewhat different from the high school groups I still get with my other son! In many ways, they’re easier. I’ve never had high school kids come over and offer to do the cooking!
I love when boy Mama’s get to have girls to visit! A whole new world. And yes, they are super duper cute, the ladies, men and the jars!
Love the boys, but it’s a treat to have girl visitors!
Hello dear Leslie Anne. What a wonderful Mom you are!! Everything looked positively delish and the young folk are darling! Your pics are great!! Have a wonderful week.
Thanks Katie. With your two girls, I’m sure you always got lots of Ooos and Ahhhs over your cutie-pie things!
Well, cornbread salad has long been a favorite here OPP but it is so much cuter in the jars! I have done green salad in mason jars but don’t know why I never thought of using them for the cornbread salad. Looks like you have a group of happy campers indeed!
Oh Marsha, just like a monogram, everything is cuter in a jar!
I’m sure they had a ball at your house Leslie Anne! That cornbread salad in a jar is getting pinned right now to my salad board, thanks!
How smart of you to have a salad board on Pinterest. I’ll have to go browse your sure-to-be healthy and delicious choices!
First, let me say that your cornbread looks PERFECT! Look at that nice brown top! And the recipe sounds good and it so clever and pretty in the jar. I will have to remember this for some future occasion.
My children are all grown up now and out of that stage where they bring friends home, but I do remember once when I hosted about ten students from Troy University–mostly boys. I cooked lots of food that weekend. It’s hard to explain why, but it was a lot of fun…yes, for me, too!
And, I’m still laughing about your orthodontist comment…and yes, I jumped back to the pic just to see! What perfect teeth!
Judy
Ha! Thanks for admiring my cornbread. You know how we Southern women love a perfect cast-iron pan of cornbread!
This sounds wonderful, we are having a family reunion this next week-end and I
would love to try this, but what are the amounts for the other ingredients? You
didn’t give them, just the dressing.
Thanks,
Mary Lou
Oh, Mary Lou! I was afraid someone would ask that! This is one of those recipes where I just throw it all in. If you like beans, add more. Don’t like green onions? Leave them out. Since I was using the jars, I just plopped in about a tablespoon or so of each ingredient. If I were making it in a bowl, it would have been just enough to make a layer, depending on how big the bowl is. So sorry if that’s nebulous, but hey . . . that’s how my Grandmother cooked. “Just a pinch of this and a dab of that!”
Good luck!
(And by the way, if you google this or look it up on Pinterest, I’m sure you’ll find another cook who uses precise measurements!)
What a gracious and wonderful hostess you were for the son and friends. Your table is beautiful and the whole thing was much appreciated I am sure. Saw a peek of Cracker Jacks boxes . What a cute dessert item to add to a cookout.
I saw them in the store, and they looked so patriotic with the little sailor guy, so I knew it would be a fun treat. I didn’t see anyone actually take a box, but the bowl was instantly empty the first time I looked. Who doesn’t love Cracker Jacks?
It’s all too pretty to eat. I want to try the cornbread salad. Lucky son to have a mom like you to share with his friends 🙂
looks like a fun group! i’m a big fan of layered salads, especially if they’re contained in jars and particularly if they’re composed of ingredients like these–bravo!