Have you ever suffered from what I call salad regret? It happens to me sometimes when I am out to eat and thinking that a salad might be good. Then one of two things happens: either I order a salad and what everyone everyone else is having suddenly looks so much better or I like the salad and then an hour or two later I am hungry all over again and thinking “why did I order that salad?” I actually love salads and I serve them as a side dish all the time, but in order for me to love a salad as a main dish it has to be on the heartier side.
This cornbread salad is a great main dish meal that I promise will not leave you with a case of salad regret. Years ago my mom mentioned a recipe she had seen that had cornbread and leftover Thanksgiving turkey in it. I liked the idea and so I decided to try it with roasted chicken. So since I have just shared my favorite roasted chicken with you I thought I would also share this great salad. When I roast chicken I like to cook extra chicken breasts and then use them in other dishes the following nights. If things are busy then you can also pick up a rotisserie chicken. I happen to love honey mustard salad dressing and I was recently working on a new recipe for it so I decided try it with this salad. It was a great pairing. I like how the honey mustard complements the flavors of the chicken and cornbread without overpowering it, but I have also served it with ranch salad dressing in case you are not a mustard fan.
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 head of romaine lettuce chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 cups tomatoes chopped (approximately 3 smaller vine or plum tomatoes)
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 2 cups of cucumber chopped (approximately 1 medium sized cucumber)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can of pinto beans (15 oz) drained and rinsed
- 2 cups chopped chicken (approximately 2 chicken breasts)
- 4 cornbread muffins or 4 cups of corn bread cut into bite size chunks ( I usually make 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix which makes 6 muffins but use your favorite cornbread or get some pre-made from the bakery)
In a large bowl toss together the salad ingredients. You can use either warm or cold chopped chicken. It tastes great both ways, but if your chicken is warm wait to add it till the end so it doesn’t wilt your salad.
Amy’s Honey Dijon Salad Dressing:
- 2 TBSP Dijon Mustard (I like using Grey Poupon)
- 2 TBSP Honey
- 3 TBSP White Wine Vinegar
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/8 Tsp Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Canola Oil
In a small mixing bowl whisk together the dijon mustard, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper. Then slowly drizzle in the canola oil while you are whisking and continue to whisk the dressing at a fast speed until the dressing comes together and the oil is fully incorporated.
