Cornbread Salad

Directions

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   This is less of a recipe and more of a technique. To start, pick up the following from a salad bar:
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   PROTEINS: About 1/2 cup (such as chopped ham, chopped turkey, imitation crab, bacon bits, etc)
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   CHEESES: About 1 cup (I usually get a mixture of cheddar, Monterey jack, and Parmesan)
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   VEGGIES: About 2 cups (I get a mixture of different kinds such as bell peppers, red onions, green onions, red beans, black beans, snow pea pods, broccoli, cauliflower, shredded carrots, radishes, seeded cucumbers, corn, cherry tomatoes, etc)
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   GREENERY: About 2 TBSP, finely chopped (such as flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, baby spinach, arugula, chives, jalapeno, etc)
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   OTHER: About 1/4 cup (a mixture of stuff like sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, dried cherries, sliced olives, sun-dried tomatoes, etc)
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   *The salad bar I use rarely has corn so I have to buy it separately fresh or frozen. Sometimes, I have to buy the black beans in a can. I then drain and rinse them before adding to the salad. I normally buy fresh jalapenos then seed and dice them when I get home.
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   Note: Items such as tomatoes and unseeded cucumbers give off a lot of liquid. Feel free to use cherry tomatoes, for example, but add them right before serving or the cornbread may get soggy.
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   INSTRUCTIONS
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    Bake the cornbread per the package instructions and let it cool to room temperature. **
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    While the cornbread is baking, whisk together the dressing ingredients. It will seem very salty and strongly flavored. Don't worry - it's a small amount of dressing for the amount of cornbread and veggies. Refrigerate until needed.
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    If you need to chop some of the veggies from the salad bar, now would be a good time.
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    To assembly the salad, crumble the cornbread in a large bowl. Add all of the stuff you bought from the salad bar.
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    Add the dressing and gently stir everything to combine. Don't forget - you should not add watery vegetables such as tomatoes until right before the salad is served.
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    Cover and refrigerate the salad for 2 to 4 hours to allow the flavors to mingle. Stir gently before serving.
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    Details can be found at the link above.
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    **Why not buy cornbread from the bakery section of your local mega mart? I've tried. At least in my part of the country, the texture of the corn muffins and cornbread is more like cake than home-baked cornbread. When you add vegetables (which contain a lot of water) to cornbread from the bakery section, the cornbread turns to goo. Perhaps your local mega mart makes better cornbread so check it out if you do not want to make your own.