Our Favorite Salad

It’s Whip It Up Wednesday and today I am sharing our family’s very favorite salad.  We LOVE salads and eat a TON of them at our house, but I would vote this one to be at the top for definitely my husband and me.  It’s probably number 2 for my kids.  My kids have always loved a caesar salad and would probably say that is their favorite, but they also really love this one because of the dressing.  How does anyone not love homemade Hidden Valley Ranch.  Now, you can use any dressing your little heart desires, but that is always our dressing of choice for this one.

I have heard people refer to this recipe as 7-layer salad, but mine is actually 9, so I can’t call it that.  Haha.  Here is the delicious run-down for mine.  Feel free to replace/omit/customize as you wish. Starting at the bottom, I layer:

Chopped Romaine

Cherry Tomatoes

Yellow Bell Pepper

Frozen Sweet Peas (You can add these frozen and they will thaw while sitting out.  Pioneer Woman taught me this.)

Red Onion (or purple-whatever you prefer to call them.)

Cucumbers

Cheddar Cheese

Bacon Bits

Boiled Eggs

I have also seen people add the dressing to the top, however, I never do this.  Some like a little, others like a lot, so I prefer to serve my dressing on the side.  Also, if having company you may want to serve another choice as well.

I love all the colors in this salad and think it is a perfect side dish for company.   Any bowl would work, but using a clear, trifle bowl is always my favorite and you can find these at most Walmarts or Targets I believe.  I know you can order them from Amazon as well.

I think the key is making sure you push your colorful veggies to the edges to ensure they are showing well.  You can see how I did that below.  Then if you create a hole in the center, you can always fill in with more lettuce.  This is typically what I end up doing because you want to make sure you create that rainbow effect on the edge.

This would be a great tailgate salad or even one for football parties you may be hosting soon in your home.  If you are tailgating, I think these would be precious in little mason jars.  Everyone has their own individual salad and you can add them to a galvanized tub of ice for grabbing.  How cute would that be!?  Gosh, can you tell I have football on the brain.  Just a couple more weeks until the official kickoff.  So hard to believe, but we are football crazies in our house so WE ARE READY!

Happy Wednesday, my friends!  Praying it’s a good one for you!  Let me know if there is anything I can be praying with you about.  Hugs!