Thank you Dixie for sponsoring this post.

One of my favorite lunches during the busy work week is a delicious and loaded salad. But I don’t always have the time to make them fresh. So, lately, I’ve been enjoying them by prepping my favorites into simple mason jar salads that last for days!

Weekday Lunch Prep + Mason Jar Salads

But won’t your prepped salad turn into mush overnight? Nope!  It’s all about how you stack your salads into containers.  All of the wet ingredients need to remain on the bottom and your leafy greens on top.

Then, when you assemble your salad, you load it up and pack it down tight with your lid to keep the ingredients from shifting (in case of tip-overs). This will give you the crisp and fresh results you want.

Mason jar salads are really easy to make. Not only are they fun and pretty to look at, but they also store well in the fridge, and they keep your lunches fresh and airtight.

One meal prep session can yield enough salads for your busy workweek. And, preparing salads at home is a good way to save some coins or to take care of portion control, if that’s your thing.

These chilled salads are perfect for tossing into your work bag for lunch or even for outdoor meals, picnics, etc. Then, when you’re ready, just eat it straight out of the jar, or you can dump it all into a nice bowl and gently toss.

One of the ways that I reduce the spread of germs when meal prepping my salads or cooking meals during the busy week is by using the new Dixie Ultra™ Cutting Boards.

I really like using Dixie Ultra™ Cutting Boards because they’re perfect for everyday meal prep and a quick clean-up. They give me a fresh & clean surface whenever I’m ready to throw down in the kitchen.

These boards are cut-resistant, and once you’re done using them, you simply toss them in the trash. Try them out for yourself! You can find them at Walmart in the foil aisle.

Easy Weekday Mason Jar Salads Recipe

I’m all about simple, time-saving meals. Today I’ll be showing you how to make a delectable chopped cobb mason jar salad loaded with grilled chicken, egg, and bacon!

Remember: The rules on how to assemble your salad in the jars remain the same no matter which ingredients you prefer. Wet ingredients go on the bottom, and drier ingredients will be layered as you move up to the top.

To make this as easy as possible, I like to use a lot of ingredients already prepped and ready to go, such as pre-cooked bacon and prewashed salad mixes. But feel free to add or remove whatever you’d like. 

This recipe yields three mason jar salads

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped salad greens
• 3/4 cup salad dressing
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
• 3 eggs, boiled and sliced
• 1 cup English cucumber, diced
• 7-8 grilled chicken strips, diced
• 4-5 strips, pre-cooked bacon (in pieces)

Salad toppings of your choice are optional

Directions:

1. Add salad dressing to each of your mason jars. This should be 1/3 cup for each one and will be the very first layer of your jar salads. 
2. Next, add in your fresh/crisp veggie toppings to each jar. This will be the onions, cucumber, and tomatoes divided evenly.
3. The third layer will be your proteins and dairy.  So here is where you’ll add in things like your meats, eggs & cheeses.  In this case, add the grilled chicken followed by your bacon pieces and 1 sliced/chopped egg, to each jar.  
4. Top each jar off with salad greens and press down firmly to pack the jar as much as possible. Follow up with any dry salad topping ingredients.  I like to add things like nuts, dried fruit, or pre-mixed salad toppers. 
5. Lastly, seal your jar with a lid and refrigerate your jars until ready to eat. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and will give mason jar salads a try. Don’t forget to check out the new Dixie Ultra™ Cutting Boards at Walmart, especially as you prepare for outdoor entertaining and the summer grilling season!

What’s your favorite salad combination?