Bacon-Tomato Cornbread Salad

It must be August. 

It has taken me five days just to type a measly recipe. I console myself with thinking that you are too busy to read blogs anyway.

But I do have several recipes I want to share. Because, if you are like me, you are always looking for new ways to use fresh garden produce.

And I love any combination of bacon and tomato.So when a friend shared this recipe several years ago, I expected it to become a favorite.

And it did. Ed and I can make a meal out of this salad. Sadly, the children don't share our love, turning up their noses at tomatoes - but that just means more for me.

Ed even asked if he could take a bowl of this salad to serve as a snack at his minister's meeting earlier this week. I admit that I thought it was an odd idea. In the past, the kinds of snacks he has taken have been doughnuts or sticky buns - not salad. But I had half a pan of cornbread on the counter and the other ingredients in the fridge so it only took minutes to throw together.

And the bowl was nearly licked clean so apparently, odd or not, salad must have been a permissible snack. Or some men didn't have time to eat supper and were willing to consume anything edible.

I don't think I've ever made bacon-tomato cornbread salad the same way twice. Basically you layer cornbread, corn, ranch salad dressing, canned beans, chopped tomatoes, onion, green sweet pepper, cheddar cheese, and bacon into a bowl and repeat the layers. Amounts are up to your taste but if you want a more detailed direction, I tried to write down what I did.

A clear glass bowl shows up the layers nicely. A trifle dish is perfect if you have one. A 9x13 casserole pan works fine too.

Bacon-Tomato Cornbread Salad

9-inch pan of cornbread, crumbled (I use half a pan of this cornbread recipe. Save the other half for another salad later in the week.)
2 cans pinto beans, drained
1 pint corn, drained
1-2 cups ranch salad dressing
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green sweet pepper, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 strips of bacon, fried and crumbled

Layer half of ingredients in glass bowl or 9x13 pan. Repeat layer. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving. Best the first day it is made.

Notes:
For the ranch dressing: I mix 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 T. of Ranch dressing mix.

Ed likes to add salsa to this salad to kick it up a notch.

Another way to increase the flavor is to add a can of chopped green chillis and 1/8 teaspoon each of cumin, oregano, and sage to the cornbread before baking.

How are you enjoying fresh tomatoes and other garden veggies this August?