Tex-Mex Layered Salad
Tex-Mex Layered Salad is an impressive explosion of colors and taste that can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. It's a true show-stopper that is perfect for a pot luck, an outdoor grilling party or any time for that matter. However you serve the salad, be prepared for an amazing dish.
Equipment
- Blender
- Clear bowl, like a trifle bowl
Ingredients
Dressing
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used Rotel)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (See Tip 1)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (See Tip 2)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Cornbread Croutons
- 8.5 ounce package Cornbread muffins
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
Layered Salad
- 4 cups Romaine lettuce
- 15.25 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained well
- 11 ounce can Mexicorn rinsed, and drained well (See Tip 3)
- 7 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (See Tip 4)
- Chopped green onion tops for garnish, optional
Instructions
Dressing
- Process drained Rotel tomatoes, sour cream, cream cheese, cumin, and garlic in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a covered dish and refrigerate.
Cornbread Croutons
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Combine corn muffin mix, egg, and milk according to package directions. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Cut cornbread into cubes; transfer to a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 250°F oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool.
Layered Salad
- Layer salad ingredients in a glass bowl as follows: Romaine lettuce, black beans, Mexicorn, and chopped green chiles.
- Place a single layer of sliced grape tomatoes around the perimeter of the bowl with the cut side facing out. Add the remaining sliced grape tomatoes to the bowl.
- Top with shredded cheese. (May be prepared in advance up to this point).
- Pour half of the dressing on the salad. Reserve the remaining dressing for individual portions.
- Sprinkle the top with green onion slices and cornbread croutons. Refrigerate for at least an hour to chill.
- Yield: 8 servings.
Tips/Notes
- I used light sour cream.
- I used low-fat cream cheese.
- If you can't find Mexicorn, feel free to use canned sweet corn.
- I used extra-sharp Cheddar cheese because that's what I had on hand. You could also use mild Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, Colby Jack cheese, or whatever cheese you have on hand.
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 382mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1731IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 2mg
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