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When it comes to feeding a crowd, salad is an excellent choice for its versatility and ease of preparation. Whether you’re hosting a party, potluck, or gathering, serving up this delicious salad, that’s loaded with flavor and texture, has something for everyone.
My son, Hunter, plays lacrosse, and last night was an exciting one as we had a Spirit Night to kick off the lacrosse season. Around 75 parents and their sons joined in the fun at the high school cafeteria. The food committee had planned a potluck dinner where everyone brought a dish to share. My choice to share? Salad For A Crowd!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Salad Recipe
- Easy to prepare: Salads are generally easy to put together, especially when you’re feeding a crowd. You can mix and match ingredients and toss them together quickly.
- Versatile: There are endless possibilities when it comes to salad ingredients. You can mix and match different vegetables, fruits, nuts, and dressings to create a salad that’s unique to your taste.
- Crowd-pleaser: Salads are typically enjoyed by everyone, making them a crowd-pleaser. You can customize the ingredients to cater to different dietary needs or preferences, such as vegan or gluten-free options.
- Budget-friendly: Salads can be a cost-effective way to feed a crowd, especially if you’re on a budget. You can use inexpensive ingredients such as lettuce, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers to make a satisfying salad.
Simple Salad Ideas And Tips
- Choose fresh and ripe ingredients: A great salad relies on the quality of its vegetables, so make sure to choose the freshest ingredients you can find to make the best-tossed salad.
- Cut the vegetables evenly: For a more attractive presentation, cut everything into even-sized pieces.
- Chill the salad: For the best taste and texture, refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving.
Easy Homemade Salad Dressings
Restaurant-quality homemade dressing is better than anything you can find in a store, and they are easy to make with simple, flavorful pantry ingredients, making them absolutely delicious.
- Creamy Vinaigrette Dressing
- Greek Dressing
- Blueberry Vinaigrette
- Easy Blue Cheese Dressing
- Classic Thousand Island Dressing
Salad Recipe Questions
Just about anything! Cucumbers, onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes are all basics for a great salad.
Yes, you can definitely make this salad ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve. This can be a great time-saving tip, especially if you’re making it for a potluck or gathering.
As a general rule of thumb, aim for about 1 cup of salad per person. However, you may need to adjust the quantities of ingredients depending on the size of your crowd.
Cold Potluck Ideas
- Label your dish: Write the name of your dish.
- Use a cooler: If you’re bringing food that needs to be kept cold, use a cooler with ice packs or frozen water bottles to keep the food at a safe temperature.
- Consider transport: Choose a dish that’s easy to transport, like a salad, pasta dish, or sandwich platter. Make sure it’s properly stored and covered during transportation.
- Plan ahead: Decide what dish you’re going to bring ahead of time, and make sure it’s something that can be served cold or at room temperature.
- For small gatherings, it is nice to check if there are any dietary restrictions or allergies among the guests.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love…
- Pear and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Easy Everyday Salad
- Simple Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 3 heads of romaine lettuce – washed and chopped
- 1 large bag of spring mix salad
- 1 container grape tomatoes – washed
- 1 large cucumber – washed and sliced
- 1 small container button mushroom – cleaned and sliced
- 1 yellow pepper – seeded and cut into strips
- ½ red onion – cut into strips
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large pan, place lettuces and mix together.
- Layer in rows the tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, peppers, onions and cheeses.
- Gently lay a damp paper towel over salad then over with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- sliced boiled eggs, bacon, grilled chicken, blue cheese, banana peppers, feta cheese, carrots, celery. Theme salads – Greek, Cobb, Mexican or your own special combination of ingredients.
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Hello,
With the salad for a crowd, do you toss it when ready to serve?
You can toss or let people make their own salad.
~Donya
Hello, do you serve this salad as shown or toss it before serving?
After.
Hi! This recipe is really going to help me this weekend. Thank you! My question is — how much of your homemade salad dressing should I make for this salad/size group (18-20)?
Hey Stacey. I would double the recipe. Let me know how everything turns out!
~Donya
Simple & Delicious
Hi! Thanks for sharing 🙂 How many does this recipe feed?
Hey Priscila. Thanks for stopping by. This recipe serves about 18 – 20. As the post shows, I had the drum line over so I needed lots of fruit. I do fill in with grapes and other fruit that is on sale. Hope this helps.
XO,
~Donya
Thank you for joining Delicious Dishes Recipe Party this week. Hope to see you again!