Mason Jar Salad | SO Easy to Make (And Store for Easy Meal Prep!)

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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 + 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. 

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!)  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:

1. salad dressing
2. vegetables
3. meats
4. cheese
5. lettuce
6. eggs

The most important thing to remember with these is to put your dressing at the bottom of the jar. 

That will keep your salad from getting soggy. Store in a refrigerator up to 5 days until you're ready to serve!

Print Recipe

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

1. Be sure to layer the ingredients in the mason jars in this order. Salad dressing, apples, strawberries, blueberries, red onion, cheese, chicken and spinach
2. 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 Dumplings