What You Should Know About Storing Cornbread Salad For Later

When I first saw cornbread salad, I immediately asked myself, 'what kind of monstrosity is this?' I'd just never heard of using cornbread in a salad. But apparently, it's a Southern favorite.

It contains layers of crumbled cornbread (it's even better if you do a honey butter version), crisp vegetables, pinto beans, shredded cheese, crunchy bacon, and a creamy homemade dressing — you could also use your favorite salad dressing. Those who love it, swear by it. But even if it's a hit with the crowd, you may have leftovers and storing them until the next day can be quite the task. The biggest challenge is preventing the salad from becoming soggy. Once the components are mixed, the cornbread quickly absorbs moisture from the dressing and vegetables, so you get a really gross, mushy mess that texture eaters like myself are going to gag on when served.

The main thing you want to focus on to keep your ingredients and flavors fresh is to store them separately. Put the crumbled cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature and throw the chopped vegetables (like tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers) in the refrigerator in their own container. Be careful with the bacon because you can only store it for so long before it gets discolored and becomes rancid. The dressing should be kept in a separate jar or container, tightly sealed and refrigerated. When you're ready to enjoy the salad again, you'll have to take a few extra minutes to layer the elements as instructed in your recipe, but you'll have a fresh, flavorful cornbread salad that's ready to go in minutes.

So now you know to store the ingredients separately, but there are other factors to consider. For starters, cornbread is the heart of this dish and it needs special care. After you've crumbled it, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. You don't want to put it in the refrigerator because the cold air can dry it out. If you store it correctly, your cornbread will stay fresh and ready to use for up to two days.

Don't make the mistake of putting the vegetables in a container all together and thinking they'll be fine. Fresh veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers will ideally be stores in separate containers which need to be refrigerated. If you're trying to keep them in tip-top shape, line the container with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. This hack keeps your vegetables crisp and prevents them from turning slimy too quickly. With this method, they'll stay vibrant for a couple of days.

Transfer your dressing to a tightly sealed jar or container and store it in the refrigerator. Creamy dressings typically last up to five days, depending on the ingredients. It might seem like it's not that big of a deal, since the other ingredients spoil faster, but if you want your salad to last as long as possible this is the best way to ensure your dish doesn't spoil before you've had a chance to eat it.