Southwest Cornbread Salad

This weekend, we are having a "Coke" family reunion. Out of seven children, there is only one remaining child who celebrated her 86th birthday in January---Elsie Coke Byrd---my husband's aunt. She lives in California and is the hostess of this reunion. She is so excited about this and has worked very hard for a year getting this planned---all from her home in California. She's a retired school teacher, who was still helping out at the schools until the last couple of years. She recently went on a cruise with all of her family. That says a lot about her "spunk" and zest for life.
I decided to share one of the recipes that I will be taking to the reunion.

Southwest Cornbread Salad
Posted by Donna:

1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread mix
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
1 cup mayo
2 large tomatoes
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
10 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (save two strips for topping)
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese(save one cup for topping)

Prepare the cornbread mix as directed. Let the cornbread cool completely, then crumble.
Stir together the salad dressing mix, sour cream, and mayo until blended. Set aside. Crumble half the cornbread into a 9 x 13 dish. Top with half each of the beans, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, corn, green onions, and green pepper. Spoon half of the dressing evenly over the top. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending with the dressing. Top with extra cheese and crumbled bacon. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

Since I've been involved in our recipe blog, I keep wondering, "Why don't I fix this recipe more often?" This blog has also made me realize how I get into such a rut with my cooking. My husband's reply to that statement would probably be, "What cookin'?" I cetainly hope I'm not the only cook out there that feels this way.

I do hope you enjoy this recipe.