Cooking At The Compound

I've mentioned before how much we love watching the Food Network at The Compound. We especially like Giada de Laurentis, Cat Cora, Sandra Lee and everybody's favorite Paula Deen. Just this past weekend, the 'Rents were watching Paula Deen whip up a meal, and were intrigued by her recipe for Cornbread Salad. They were so intrigued that they sent me out to the grocery for the ingredients and then they whipped it up for supper. It was awesome. Now, I'm the first to say that I normally don't like foods mixed up a la KFC's Bowls. But I digress. This salad rocked. Sure the foods are in there mixed up (actually, they're layered) but hey - it's a salad - it's supposed to be mixed up. Here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy it half as much as we did. And in case you might be wondering, even a day later the cornbread still was not soggy - it was almost as dry as it was when we ate it on Saturday evening.

Cornbread Salad

1 batch cornbread, cut into 1-inch squares
1 (14.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
1 (8-ounce) bottle buttermilk ranch dressing
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

In the bottom of a large glass bowl, place cornbread cubes. Layer beans, corn, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and cheese on top of cornbread. Spread ranch dressing evenly over cheese. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.