Balsamic Chicken Mason Jar Salads

We have a new BFF when it comes to lunchtime food options… mason jar salads! The concept is (almost) as old as the hills, but we have only just discovered it. This lunch idea is portable, easy to make ahead of time, extremely delicious and infinite in flavor combinations.

The beauty of a mason jar salad is that you can make them up ahead of time (we make ours on Sunday) and they still taste fresh and delicious by the end of the week. The secret is that you put your dressing alllll the way at the very bottom of the jar. Next you layer your veggies, meat, etc. Very very (VERY) last you add your greens – lettuce, spring mix, etc. The goal is to keep the moisture far away from your crispy greens. You don’t mix everything together until you sit down to eat the salad.

When I eat one of these salads, I give the jar a good shaking and then usually dump the whole thing out into a bowl. You could certainly eat the salad right from the jar if you prefer.

Like I mentioned above, the flavor combinations are endless. We started with a simple one – balsamic chicken salads. They are scrumptious!

We usually make up 10 jars at a time – 1 salad per day for Bob and myself. You can certainly adjust the ingredients and amounts as you prefer.

Here are the ingredients that go into ONE salad. Multiply by as many as you’d like to make!

You will need:

• (1) clean (and dry!) quart sized mason jar
• 2 TBSP balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1 TBSP crushed pecans (we have also used walnuts or almonds with good results)
• 2 TBSP feta cheese crumbles (we have also used blue cheese or Gorgonzola with good results)
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 C chopped cucumbers
• 1/3 C chopped chicken (cooked)
• 2 C spring mix

How to make:

1. Layer ingredients in jar in this order: dressing, nuts, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, chicken, spring mix.
2. Make sure the dressing is not touching the spring mix or it will get soggy.
3. Place lid on jar and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat it.
4. Enjoy deliciously flavorful crispy salads all week long!