This Cowboy Cornbread Trifle contains layers of cornbread, a blend of corn, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, and onions, with a mayonnaise-ranch dressing, cheese, and bacon. And, the trifle, also known as cornbread salad, looks as good as it tastes! It’s the perfect dish to bring to potlucks, picnics, or any gathering where you want to impress with bold flavors and layers of deliciousness! Try my Cornbread Dressing for another flavorful way to use cornbread.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cornbread: For this recipe, I used cornbread that was on the sweeter side. It complements all of the other savory flavors perfectly. You could also use storebought cornbread; you will need about an 8×8-inch pan of it, cut into cubes. Or, be bold and try the trifle with my Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread!
Canned Vegetables: I used canned corn kernels, black beans, and diced tomatoes. They should all be drained. In addition, be sure to rinse the black beans, too. If preferred, you could use fresh tomatoes.
Fresh Vegetables: For fresh vegetables, I added red bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeno peppers. Then, have green onions for the topping with parsley for garnish. Adjust the level of spiciness by using more or fewer jalapeno peppers. You could leave those out, too.
Dressing: The creamy dressing is made by blending mayonnaise with ranch dressing. You can make both the mayonnaise and ranch dressing from scratch.
Bacon: I used thick-cut bacon to make sure it stands on its own and doesn’t get lost in the other ingredients. For easy clean-up, bake the bacon in the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the bacon on the foil in a single layer. Bake for 18-20 minutes (or until they reach your desired crispiness) at 415°F.
Cheese: Both cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese are added to the trifle. Feel free to use all of one kind of cheese. Or try it with other types like pepper jack, Colby jack, or a Mexican blend, just to name a few.
Why Chill The Trifle Before Serving?
Chilling the cornbread trifle for a couple of hours before serving allows the flavors to develop. It also helps firm up the layers, including the dressing and cheese. In addition, the cornbread can soak up some of the moisture from some of the other ingredients without getting soggy. So, plan accordingly when assembling the trifle.
Can I Make The Ahead Of Time?
Yes, since this trifle is best served after being chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours, it’s a good idea to make it in advance. You could also get parts of the cornbread salad made ahead of time. The bacon can be made up to a few days in advance, and stored in the refrigerator. You could also get the mayonnaise and ranch dressing mixed and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. And, of course, you could make the cornbread a day or two ahead of time.
How To Serve Cowboy Cornbread Trifle
There are a couple of ways to serve this flavorful and impressive cornbread trifle:
- To show off the beautiful layers, serve the trifle in a clear and deep trifle dish. When ready to share, scoop out a portion into salad bowls or glasses, making sure to get all of the layers in each scoop!
- Instead of serving out of one big trifle bowl, you could also use mason jars, glass bowls, or glasses to make individual servings of this salad. Have the salads individually assembled before you serve them.
- Have guests assemble their own cornbread trifle with all the available layer options laid out.
How To Store Cowboy Cornbread Trifle
Cowboy Cornbread Trifle is best served on the same day, after being chilled for a couple of hours. However, it can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The longer it is stored, the more the texture can be affected.
Cowboy Cornbread Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 recipe cornbread, prepared, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cans (15.25 ounces each) corn kernels, drained
- 2 cans (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ medium red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups (348 g) mayonnaise
- 1 cup (232 g) ranch dressing
- 9 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, crumbled
- 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese. shredded
- 1 cup (113 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add corn, beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add mayonnaise and ranch dressing. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Assembly
- In a large 3-quart trifle bowl, layer ⅓ of cornbread cubes, a heaping 2 ½ cups of the corn mixture, ⅓ cup of cheddar cheese, ⅓ cup of Monterey Jack cheese, a heaping ¾ cup dressing, and ⅓ of the bacon. Repeat the layers two more times.
- Top with the green onions. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Garnish with parsley. Serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Cornbread fans will LOVE this trifle. It has a little bit of everything, including a tangy ranch sauce to bring everything together.
Elizabeth
I loved this cornbread trifle, or salad, or whatever you want to call it! The layers all worked so perfectly together. The only thing I would tweak is to use a little less of the dressing as in some bites it was overpowering.
Rachael
This is quite a unique trifle, but the flavors work well together. This is quite the midwestern dish, but it works!
Bella
I don't even like cornbread, but this trifle was delicious! I love all of the fresh ingredients. The creamy sauces, cheese, and bacon add savory flavors that balance the sweetness of the cornbread!
Selena
This was so pretty and so yummy! I would definitely bring this to a family get-together or a potluck! The crunchy bacon was a highlight!
Annabelle
This dish wasn't for me, as I'm not a big cornbread fan. But, It has serious potential for someone who loves that cornbread flavor!
I made a triple batch of your Cowboy Cornbread Trifle (with some personalized changes) for a Grange dinner after a concert on Thursday, 4/25/24. It was, by far, the star of the table! So many people asked for the recipe (even the band members!) that I had to write out your website address well over a dozen times! May I share your recipe and website on our Grange page? I’d appreciate it, as it was so well liked by so many! Thanks!!
What can be substituted for the jalapeno peppers.-green chilies?
Sure – or you can simply leave them out. 🙂
This reminds me of my childhood So yummy