Hello!

Cooking is creating, and creating happens to be part of me, that person who likes to be crafty and create stuff….

I like to try new things, like a new crochet pattern, or a new recipe. Either way, it’s creating something. It could be a new favorite or “nope, not doing that again.”

This week’s recipe I made for the first time over the weekend, not sure how it was going to turn out and how we would like it. It just seemed different.

My husband is always asking what I’m cooking and I told him and he said hum…. not being sure about all the ingredients together how it would turn out. He didn’t seem curious or excited about it like he would a chocolate cake, but that didn’t deter me. He did, however, raise his eyebrow when I said it has cornbread in it. He loves cornbread.

I made the recipe and chilled it and we tried it…. It’s going to be a dish I fix very often now. This is just so good!

We both loved it and ate the entire pan in just a couple of days. It’s a very filling dish, I had it for lunch and nothing else. For supper I fixed some chicken, and of course we had some more of this wonderful salad.

The flavors and the taste of “freshness” of this dish are incredible. Don’t let the name of this dish detour you from trying it, it sure doesn’t do it justice. The name sure doesn’t seem to fit this dish.

When I made this, I made it with Fat free mayonnaise and fat free sour cream, it didn’t take away anything from the taste and I will be using the same ingredients when I make it again this weekend. I also used the “real” bacon bits instead of cooking and crumbling 10 bacon strips, you can if you wish, I just thought it would be a time saver doing it that way.

It’s not often I get excited about a dish, but this is one I’m excited to do again, and it will be this weekend we will enjoy it all over again. My husband asked me if I would make “that cornbread stuff” again this weekend…ABSOLUTELY!

Chili Cornbread Salad

1 package (8-1/2 ounces) cornbread/muffin mis

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of rubbed sage

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15-1/4 ounces each) whole kernel corn, drained

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup chopped green pepper (used 1 whole green pepper)

1 cup chopped green onions (I used just a white onion)

10 bacon strips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions. Stir in chilies, cumin, oregano, and sage. Spread in a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and dressing mix; set aside. Crumble half of the cooled cornbread into a 13×9 inch dish. Layer with half of the beans, mayonnaise mixture, corn, tomatoes and green pepper, onions, bacon, and cheese. Repeat layers, dish will be full. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Enjoy.