1 ½cupscorn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed if frozen
1red bell pepper, small diced
1 (15-ounce)canblack olives, drained and sliced
3green onions, finely chopped
4roma tomatoes, liquid squeezed out and chopped
2cupsshredded cheddar cheese
Dressing:
⅓cupregular or light mayonnaise
⅓cuplight or regular sour cream or plain yogurt
⅓cuplowfat buttermilk
¾cupchopped fresh cilantro
¼cupfresh lime juice, from about 2 limes
2teaspoonsground cumin
½teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonchili powder
Instructions
In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use (this can be made several days in advance).
In a 9X13-inch pan, layer the ingredients in the following order: lettuce, cornbread, beans, corn, red pepper, olives, green onions, tomatoes and cheese.
Pour the dressing over the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Serve chilled.
Notes
Drying the Ingredients: make sure each ingredient is well dried before layering (like if the lettuce has been recently washed or after rinsing the beans) because you really don't want the cornbread to get soggy; major ick factor Cornbread: I made an adapted version of my favorite cornbread for this recipe, reducing the sugar to 1/3 cup and using 1/2 cup coconut oil. I cut the cooled cornbread into small cubes. I had a bit leftover after I measured out the 3 or so cups - makes a great snack! Layering: this salad can be layered in a variety of ways. If you want more dressing throughout the salad, add 1/2 of the dressing part way through the layers. You can also use a trifle dish to layer this but I like using a 9X13-inch dish because if you are scooping it out for a crowd, it's much easier to get all the ingredients in one scoop versus scooping into a really deep dish. Make sense? Main Dish: adding grilled chicken to this (or on the side) would make a fantastic main course.