Mexican Cornbread Salad

I know I have complained about this before and I will probably complain about it again....well at least while our temps outside are going above 100F daily right now. Something that I really have a hard time with is turning on my oven to bake when it is so hot outside and of course I am craving everything needing to be baked.

I keep finding new recipes for baked dinners and snacks....go figure! I know that not everyone lives in the same climate as I do but come on why do all these oven baked recipes look so yummy??
SO I try to narrow my choices down to recipes that only require to be baked under 30 minutes and try to keep the oven temp under 400F...haha....it's not that easy though.

Cornbread is a recipe that fits my criteria so that means this Cornbread Salad is a go! This salad is perfect as a side dish for a picnic, party or as a light dinner dish on it's own too. The dressing is very refreshing and goes great with the sweetness of the cornbread.

Mexican Cornbread Salad

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (with ingredients needed on the box)
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 package taco seasoning (I used my homemade taco seasoning)
4 roma tomatoes, gutted and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sour cream (I used greek yogurt)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional....I did not use any)
2-3 green onions, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
2 cups crumbled cornbread
2 cans kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

Bake the cornbread muffins according to directions on the box. Cool completely before continuing with assembling the salad.......Do this either the day before or the morning you plan on putting together your salad.

Cook your turkey or beef until no longer pink. Add your taco seasoning. Set aside and let cool until ready to use. If you are prepping the day before store your cooked meat in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Whip together the sour cream, green onions, lime juice, chili powder and cumin.
Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. You can do this the day before as well, just give it a quick stir before using.

When you have your muffins cooled and dressing done you are ready to assemble your salad:

First layer: 1 cup crumbled cornbread

Second layer: half of prepared meat

Third layer: green peppers

Fourth layer: corn

Fifth layer: beans

Sixth layer: 1/2 cup shredded cheese

REPEAT ending with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, then top with the chopped the tomatoes and then cover with your prepared dressing.

Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.


**Don't hesitate to add more toppings like chopped onions, black olives or use red bell peppers instead of green peppers**