If you're looking for an easy lunch to meal prep – try these mason jar salad tricks. You can customize them AND include your dressing!
Mason Jar Salad Recipe
I might just be a genius over here. 😂
This Summer as things at our house started slowing down, I was looking for simple easy meals to make for our bunch that didn't require a ton of work on my end. My middle kiddo Caroline was getting ready to head off to college (MY HEART WILL BE HEADING TO COLLEGE RIGHT ALONG WITH HER!), so I wanted to make simple food that I knew we'd all love.
And goodness, since this girl of mine loves yummy salad + a mason jar? Enter mason jar salad perfection.
Thank-you-very-much PPP Lunch Menu Plans!
We have a happy little set of lunchtime meals, that are a little heartier than a regular PB&J sandwich, but also super kinda-picky-kid-friendly and even mom approved.
One weekend I was looking at them and pulled out week one (hel-loooooo no bake cookies!) and decided to make menu planning REAL easy for that week.
Here are the recipes included on the week one lunchbox meals list:
- hot ham and cheese pinwheels
- mason jar chef salad
- slow cooker chili mac
- peanut butter, banana and cinnamon sugar roll-ups
- pizza crescents
- no bake cookies
So here's the menu plan I planned for the week (to make simple lunchtime meals work for dinnertime too!):
- Monday – mason jar salads + hot ham and cheese pinwheels (because Caroline loves her some ham & cheese sliders)
- Tuesday – mason jar salads +Â hot chicken salad (PPP freezer meals) + fruit + veggies
- Wednesday – slow cooker chili mac, pizza crescents, salad & no bake cookies (our son Jackson was coming home from college for dinner that night – so it's a big meal for our bunch!)
- Thursday – leftover buffet
- Friday – peanut butter, banana and cinnamon sugar roll-ups for lunch, we would probably do dinner out (Caroline had a few restaurants she wants to go to before school starts!)
These mason jar salads simply win it all. (And you can get a great deal on mason jars with lids right over HERE!).
You can stuff a TON of salad fixins right in your jar (including the dressing ~ who knew?!), pop them in your fridge for up to 5 days, and healthy yummy salad in a jar meals are literally at your finger tips.
MENU-PLANNIN-MOMMA HACK FOR THE WIN!
The best part? You can try different types of salads. You can add in chicken breast, turkey, ham, and any type of vegetables. It's a great way to help with meal planning and to increase the likelihood that your family will eat the salad.
It also saves time! I did a few fruit-y and a few savory, and they are just perfection.Â
I also stuffed a whoooooole-lotta-greens in mine which worked just fine. (Each of my mason jars actually has enough salad for one HUGE meal or two side salads. I love that!)Â They'll stay fresh for about 5 days in the fridge too.
Here's how to make a Mason Jar Salad:
Start by gathering up your ingredients. We are going to make a Chef Salad, but you can get creative with your items you include!
The order is important in these jar salads! Layer ingredients in this order:
- salad dressing
- vegetables
- meats
- cheese
- lettuce
- eggs
The most important thing to remember with these is to put your dressing at the bottom of the jar.Â
That will keep your salad from getting soggy. Store in a refrigerator up to 5 days until you're ready to serve!
Mason Jar Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce chopped
- 2 whole hard boiled eggs sliced
- 8 whole cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 whole mushrooms sliced
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 whole medium cucumber sliced
- 1/4 whole medium red onion chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup diced ham
- 8 Tbsps favorite salad dressing
- 4 wide-mouth, pint-size mason jars
Instructions
- Be sure to layer the ingredients in the mason jars in this order - Salad dressing, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, carrots, ham, cheese, lettuce and eggs.
- Pack into mason jar and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Pour onto a plate to serve.
- Enjoy!
Or, if you'd like a fruity alternative, try out this one:
Fruity Spinach Salad
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 1 apple, sliced thin
- 10 strawberries, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup feta, goat or bleu cheese I love goat cheese best but use the one you love!)
- ¼ medium red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup diced grilled chicken
- 8 Tbsps favorite salad dressing
- 4 wide-mouth, pint-size mason jars
Directions
- Be sure to layer the ingredients in the mason jars in this order. Salad dressing, apples, strawberries, blueberries, red onion, cheese, chicken and spinach
- Pour onto a plate to serve.
If you're looking for some seriously delicious new family friendly food, try out our lunch menu plans. They include 6 weeks of recipes and desserts (you have got to try the lunch lady brownies from week 4 – they're SO SO good) and they just make quick meals a wee bit more fun each night.
Looking for family friendly recipes? Here you go:
- Crockpot Mexican Pork
- Walking Tacos Recipe
- Ranch & Parmesan Baked Chicken Tenders
- Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
- Slow Cooker Chicken and DumplingsÂ
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