How do we get our family to eat a lot of greens? Put bacon, eggs, and avocado in the bowl with the lettuce.
Rarely is my family of men pleased to see a lovely bowl of salad as the main dish at lunchtime. You can almost see the “am I gonna get full?!” look of panic in their eyes. After all, typically a tossed salad lunch just doesn’t stick with a person very long into the afternoon. But if there’s bacon in it? And boiled eggs? And avocado? And cheese? Well, now we’re on to something.
My family devoured this last week when I made it – even the boys who don’t typically love eating avocados. With all the other flavors mixed in, this salad with all its goodness works for even my pickiest eaters. Along with the salad, I served fresh pineapple, fresh cantaloupe, and a new recipe I was experimenting with: Coconut Fudge Bars. We were all very full after our meal – and stayed full until after we got back from swimming that evening at 5:15. At that point we were all ready to eat our own beach towels – but that’s typical no matter what we’ve eaten for lunch.
This recipe is hardly a recipe. Simply throw together whatever amounts of each ingredient you feel is best for each family member. We all ate great big bowls full, because that’s what we do around here. Need to this be Gluten Free? It’s GF without having to try. Need it to be Dairy Free? Leave out the cheese. You might have been able to figure that one out by yourself. ;)
Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Salad
- Bacon, cut into bites, cooked, and drained
- Boiled eggs
- Avocado, cut into bites (as well as you can cut an avocado into bites)
- Cheddar or Colby jack cheese, cut into small chunks
- Mixed greens, lettuce, and spinach of choice
- Tomatoes, chopped
- Salad dressing of choice
- Toss ingredients together and have a feast.
To prepare for the lunch box:
Prepare all ingredients in advance, from cooking the bacon to boiling the eggs to chunking the cheese. Toss the fixin’s into a jar or bowl with a lid before heading out for the day. Put the dressing into a separate container to add just before eating.
These ingredients, prepared in advance, will last a week or two in the fridge for quick salad prep. If you chop your avocado ahead of time, simply place the avocado pit into the container to help maintain the nice green color.
Side dish ideas:
- Fresh fruit like pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, apples, oranges, and/or grapes
- Carrot sticks with hummus
- Coconut Fudge Bars or Chewy Granola Bars
- A favorite muffin or slice of quick bread
- Crispy Cheese Crackers
- Fruit and kefir/yogurt smoothie
You really have to try this salad. Really – even people who don’t normally love salad should love this one. It has bacon in it, for crying out loud. It’s happiness in a bowl.
Hey, have any of you tried the “Salad in a Jar” idea? I am excited to try that sometime, both because it’s a great packaging idea…and of course, because it involves a jar. It’s happiness in a jar. With bacon (for crying out loud).
Find more Make-Ahead Lunch Box recipes and be sure to follow along in this series for more fun ideas!
