This beautiful layered salad looks great in a glass trifle dish, and tastes great in any dish!
Cornbread:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups (about 14.4 oz.) self-rising buttermilk cornmeal mix
1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
2 large eggs
Salad:
6 thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-in. pieces
1 (20-oz.) bottle refrigerated ranch dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, chives), divided
4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, divided
2 (15 1/2-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/2 cups halved multicolored cherry tomatoes, divided
2 cups fresh corn kernels, divided
1 large red or orange bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup finely chopped red onion (from 1 medium [8 oz.] onion)
Directions
1. Heat cast-iron skillet: Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in oven; preheat oven to 425℉. Once oven is preheated, remove skillet from oven. Add butter, and place skillet in oven. Heat in oven until butter is melted, about 3 minutes.
2. Prepare the Cornbread: While butter melts, whisk together cornmeal mix, buttermilk, and eggs in a medium bowl until combined. Carefully remove skillet from oven; pour melted butter from skillet into batter, stirring quickly. Immediately pour batter into hot skillet. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; turn cornbread out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Crumble cornbread.
3. Cook bacon: While cornbread cools, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; set aside.
4. Make ranch mixture: Whisk together ranch dressing, mayonnaise, buttermilk, 1/2 cup of the herbs, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside.
5. Make black-eyed pea mixture: Toss together black-eyed peas, olive oil, salt, 1 3/4 cups of the tomatoes, 1/4 cup of the herbs, and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar in a medium bowl; set aside.
6. Make corn and tomato mixture: Toss together remaining 3/4 cup tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the corn kernels, and remaining 1/4 cup herbs in a small bowl; set aside.
7. Start layering the salad: Spread about 2/3 cup of the ranch dressing mixture in bottom of a 12-cup trifle dish or large straight-sided glass bowl. Add about 1 cup of the crumbled cornbread, then about 1 cup of black-eyed pea mixture and 1/2 cup of corn kernels, followed by about 2/3 cup of the ranch dressing mixture. Lightly press down on layers to compact in trifle dish.
8. Finish salad layers: Continue layering: Over the ranch dressing mixture, add half of the black-eyed pea mixture, about 1 cup of the crumbled cornbread, about 2/3 cup of the ranch dressing mixture, the remaining corn kernels, bell pepper, and half of the red onion. Add on top of the onions about 1 cup of the crumbled cornbread, about 2/3 cup of the ranch dressing, and any remaining the black-eyed pea mixture. Finish with remaining cornbread, remaining ranch dressing, and remaining red onion. Arrange cooked bacon around edges of dish, and arrange remaining corn and tomato mixture in center of dish. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 1 day before serving.
Comments