Chef salad in a Jar takes less than half an hour of effort to yield four lunches for the coming week. Crisp romaine lettuce, fresh vegetables, ham, turkey, egg, plenty of cheese, and a tasty Parmesan vinaigrette dressing make this Chef Salad a well balanced lunch that’s anything but boring. Thank you Milk Mean More for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
One of my biggest struggles is slowing down long enough to eat a decent lunch. Sure, I stop to feed my boys lunch each day, but most of the time, I’m not super excited about the sort of things that they prefer for lunch. Kids will happily eat the same thing for lunch every. single. day. I’ll certainly belly-up to the table for lunch when I can talk them into some Chorizo Mac & Cheese or leftover Copy Cat P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps. However, I’m easily bored by their usual fare. Instead of eating what they’re having (again), I usually move on to ,more thrilling pursuits like cleaning up the continuous tornado that goes along with having four kids.
On the days that I miss lunch, I end up pretty dang cranky by the time 3:00 pm rolls around. Trust me when I tell you that no one wants to be around Cranky Me at the end of a school day. I’m certainly not a good wife or mother while in that state of self-deprivation. Oh, and my family can pretty much forget about dinner when my blood sugar dips that low. At that point, cooking is the farthest thing from my mind. all I can think about is cocooning in a blanket burrito, burning through the Netflix queue, and eating fudge brownies like it’s my job.
Don’t be like me. Brownies and blanket burritos are awesome and all, but I really don’t recommend skipping meals.
I can’t even stand me when I let myself get that hungry! I know that I need to make eating well a priority in order to take better care of all of us. Not skipping meals is a big part of being good to myself. My Dad spends the better part of every Sunday night chopping vegetables. He and Bonus Mom eat mammoth salads for lunch all week. I can spend about 30 minutes tossing together a few Chef Salads in a Jar for my family.
Did you see what I did there? Tossing together the chef salad? Yeah. I crack me up, too.
Chef Salad in a Jar contains crisp romaine, fresh vegetables, ham, turkey, egg, plenty of cheese, and a tasty parmesan vinaigrette dressing for a balanced lunch that’s anything but boring. Strategically layering the ingredients in a jar is both visually appealing and helps keep the salad fresh for days. Chef Salad in a Jar easily packs in a chilled lunch tote for a healthy meal option at work or school. Plus, you can amaze your friends by showing them this nifty serving trick:
To enjoy, simply invert the jar for a minute to allow the dressing to trickle on through the salad. Flip the jar back over, remove the lid, and dig in to a perfectly dressed salad!
For more tips on layering salads in a jar for optimal freshness and flavor, check out the chef salad recipe text.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 4 Servings
25 minPrep Time
25 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 C. (1 whole) diced Roma tomato
- 1 C. (¼ whole) sliced English cucumber
- 1 C. (1 oz.) cooked lean ham, sliced into strips
- 1 C. (1 oz.) cooked lean turkey, sliced into strips
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into thin strips
- 2 oz. Swiss cheese, cut into thin strips
- 4 C. chopped Romaine lettuce, bite sized pieces
- 4 Tbs. Parmesan Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- ¼ C. (2 small) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 Tbs. finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tsp. coarse grain mustard
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 6 Tbs. light olive or canola oil
- 4 pint sized, wide mouth jars with tightly fitting lids
- Dressing cruet with a tight fitting lid (or another pint sized jar with lid)
Instructions
- Prepare the parmesan vinaigrette by placing all of the dressing ingredients into a dressing cruet or pint jar. Firmly affix the lid and shake vigorously until the dressing is emulsified; set the dressing aside while preparing the salads.
- To assemble the salads, remove the lids from four wide mouth jars and group the jars together on the work surface. Pour 1 tablespoon of the parmesan vinaigrette dressing into the bottom of each jar. Divide each of the salad components into four equal parts.
- Layer the salad ingredients into each jar in the following order: tomatoes, cucumber, ham, turkey, hardboiled egg, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and finally, the lettuce. Tightly affix a lid to each jar. Keep salads refrigerated until ready to serve.
- To serve, verify that the lid of the jar is on tightly before inverting the jar to rest on the lid. Let the salad stand inverted for a few minutes to give the dressing time to trickle through the ingredients. Flip the jar back over and remove the lid to serve.
Notes
Just about any salad can be easily transported using the jar method. Salads may be prepared 3 to 4 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. When preparing salads to enjoy several days later, it is recommended to omit the dressing from the jar, and instead add it just prior to serving. Be sure to layer the ingredients with the highest moisture content first, followed by any meats and cheeses, and ending with the salad greens on top. Croutons or other crunchy ingredients are best stored separately.
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