Hack my favorite salad for an easy weekday lunch
Sometimes, I feel like the hardest meal I have to worry about every day is lunch – right? Whenever we talk about recipes on Instagram stories, one of the most common topics that comes up over and over again is an easy, quick, and healthy lunch! I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have something basic ready in the fridge, I’ll order delivery. And that gets expensive in a hurry!
That’s why I LOVE salads. I know this isn’t a shocking realization, but I feel like store-bought salad mixes are often overlooked in the easy lunch store, and they really shouldn’t! In fact, they’ve come a long way from yore’s old sad Caesar salad making kits.
Hack my favorite salad for an easy weekday lunch
My go-to salad hack:
My final hack? I buy a couple of salad kits and a rotisserie chicken at the beginning of the week, and then I’ll take care of lunch for the whole week.
All you have to do is chop up the chicken when you get home, put it in the fridge, and when you’re ready to eat, take out the portion you want for that meal and mix it with the sauces/condiments. Different to go with your salad every time you cook lunch. It sounds simple, but I promise it will make a huge difference in transforming a blah salad into something you’ll enjoy eating every day!
Why I love store-bought salad mixes:
- They last a long time (unlike the bag of spring mix that rots in your crisper drawer) They’re usually made with tougher greens like cabbage, romaine, and kale, so they last easily. at the whole week!
- They take two seconds to boot
- They are relatively healthy
- Easily customizable and stretches over multiple meals
The best chopped salad mixes:
You obviously know I’m a lover of TJ’s – they’re one of the frontrunners in great chopped salad dressings, but you don’t have to shop at TJ’s to get the hang of it. I think Target’s chopped salad is really great too! There is also a brand called Taylor Farms that I bought at Mariano’s and Jewel which I really like! Whatever store you shop at, head to the produce section and you’ll find a ton of great options!
To spice up your salad mix:
There are times when I don’t add anything for reasons of timing, or because I rarely shop for groceries – but if possible, I usually like to add some extra mix in addition to what you already have in your bag!
- Add greens to make it more nutritious (I like TJ’s Cruciferous Crunch that I’ll mix in, or just shred romaine, kale, etc.!)
- Chopped tomatoes
- Avocado
- Shredded cheese (I often find that the mix doesn’t have enough cheese for my taste, so I’ll often add more of my own)
- Soft cheeses like goat cheese, blue cheese or feta
- Shredded cottage cheese (so delicious, don’t spoil it until you try it!)
- My own sauces and sauces. (See below)
- Additional herbs: Fresh cilantro, green onions, etc. Go a long way in making a ready-to-use salad dressing!
- Any leftover farro, quinoa, pasta, etc. is always delicious and filling!
Hack my favorite salad for an easy weekday lunch
The best salad dressings to have on hand:
Depending on the salad mix, it could be a great dressing, it could be meh. I’d have my own to use instead if I found the bundled suit to be lackluster. My last phobias are marked with an asterisk.
- Tessamae Farm and Sriracha . Farm
- TJ .’s Peppercorn Farm
- TJ’s Grilled Sesame Sauce *
- TJ’s Zhoug Sauce *
- TJ’s Jalapeño Sauce.
- Salad Girl’s Crisp Apple Maple Vinaigrette * (one of my all time favorites)
- Brianna’s Blush Wine vinaigrette
- I like it too make my own vinegar Put in the fridge! *
- Club Lucky Italian Dressing (Chicago exclusive!)
My favorite combination:
Buffalo Chicken Salad:
Your favorite Southwest salad or TJ’s buffalo ranch mix + buffalo roast chicken + ranch
Asian inspired chicken salad:
Your favorite Asian salad mix + TJ’s Soyaki rotisserie chicken + TJ’s toasted sesame sauce. I also love adding fresh cilantro and/or chopped scallions and avocado and sriracha drizzle on top! (I’ll also have this for dinner with some of TJ’s skyscraper sticks on the side!)
Mediterranean Chopped Salad:
Your favorite Mediterranean chopped salad set + rotisserie chicken with TJ’s Zhoug sauce + hummus + red wine vinegar. (Bonus if you have pita on your side!)
Taco Salad:
Your favorite southwest salad mix + rotisserie chicken mixed with your favorite hot sauce or seasoning + marinade mix (I like the one that goes with TJ’s southwest mix or I usually go for a shallow mix) camp and salsa for the sauce!) You can also make this with ground chicken/turkey/beef or a TJ’s Veggie Southwest burger!
Cajun Caesar Chopped Salad:
Your favorite Caesar salad mix (I love minced even more – I just think all salads taste better when chopped!) + Chicken rotisserie mixed with your favorite cajun seasoning + caesar dressing. If you want to make it more nutritious, I usually add some TJ’s Cruciferous Crunch or chopped kale/other greens!
Chopped Kale Salad:
Your favorite kale salad mix + rotisserie chicken mixed with honey mustard + your favorite balsamic vinaigrette. Add shredded goat cheese, blue cheese, and/or sliced apples for extra fancy.
Chopped Italian Salad:
Kale salad mix (you can usually find an Asiago kale, which has a unique Italian flavor!) + Chicken rotisserie mixed with store-bought pesto + optional mozzarella cheese (or pellets or chopped, or to be honest, I usually use string cheese if that’s what I have on hand!) + Your favorite Italian vinaigrette or balsamic. (Optional exchange: Instead of chicken, you can also use prosciutto or minced Italian sausage!)
That’s it! It’s simple, but it’s awesome. Hope this easy idea helps turn your weekday lunch into something fun and exciting!
