Fresh greens, nutty edamame, sweet cranberries, plenty of cheese, wonton crisps, and a handful of fresh mushrooms tossed in a tangy sweet honey mustard dressing add up to this unforgettable Crunchy Spinach Salad. Inspired by one of my favorite restaurant salads, this salad never fails to remind me of road trips with family.

As you already know, I grew up in New Mexico and I have loved Dion’s Pizza for as long as I can remember. There’s no such thing as a trip back home that doesn’t include a stop there for at least one meal. Even my green chile ranch was inspired by our love for their dressing, since we couldn’t get it after moving out of state. So, I’m thrilled to share another Dion’s copycat salad today.

Dion’s Crunchy Spinach Salad

I fell for the crunchy spinach salad the very first time I tried it. I was visiting my sister Jenny in NM and she ordered this salad along with our pizza. I had always ordered their chef salad, so when this one showed up, I wasn’t sure what to think about it.

It’s hard to believe that was almost ten years ago. I can not believe it took me until this summer’s road trip to Arizona to finally try my hand at this recipe. But, I am proud of myself for remembering to put the ingredients on my shopping list while I was still eating it. How’s that for thinking ahead?

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Creamy ranch dressing coats every bite of pasta and vegetables in this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. Sprinkled throughout with bacon and cheddar cheese, my kids went absolutely nuts over this salad.

I love making pasta salads and there is no end to the ways that we make them fun and interesting! (I’m looking at you, Deviled Egg Pasta Salad!) I made this pasta salad for the first time about 10 years ago and my kids dove into this for second helpings lightning fast. They polished off almost the entire recipe in one sitting!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

I enjoy having easy recipes like this one at my fingertips for nights when it’s too hot to even think about being in the kitchen. A few minutes spent in the kitchen after breakfast and you’ll have dinner ready whenever you are hungry for it.

This salad is a frequent request on our meal plan. And I have to think ahead and stash a portion for myself in the back of the refrigerator if I want to have some left for my lunch the following day.

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You know that moment when you’re halfway through winter and your body just starts begging for something fresh, bright, and alive? Yeah, that’s where this Winter Salad with cabbage and Brussels sprouts comes in.

Winter Salad

I fell for Ina Garten’s winter slaw years ago (because of course I did. She makes slaw an event!), but I’ve since tweaked it into something that fits me a little better: this salad is punchy, colorful, crisp, and just chaotic enough to feel alive while surrounded by snow.

I can’t stop making this.

What makes this winter salad so brilliant, is that it doesn’t pretend to be summer. It’s a celebration of what’s actually in season, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cranberries. The texture? Deliriously crunchy. The flavor? Sharp but balanced.

I figured I’d like this salad, but it turns out that I really, really LOVE this salad. I made it, tasted it, and proceeded to eat it for lunch alongside my infamous grilled cheese sandwich for the next 3 days. It’s so dang tasty.

What I love most about this recipe is that it lasts. You can make a giant bowl of it on Sunday and still be crunching happily on Wednesday. It actually gets better in the fridge because the flavors continue to develop.

It’s the salad equivalent of a long-term relationship. Yeah, it was great at the start. But, when you get to the point that you’re finishing each other’s sentences? That’s the drea

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone out for lunch just because I was craving this salad. Inspired by my deep love for the simple house chop served at Harvest Pizza, it was way past time for me to figure out how to make their salad at home.

Crunchy greens, tangy pepperoncini, and hearty chickpeas are tossed with a sweet Italian dressing and then sprinkled with crumbles of creamy cheese to recreate Harvest’s House Chop Salad.

Sweet Italian Dressing

The base flavor for this salad is the sweet Italian dressing. It’s a smooth, sweet cousin to the zesty Italian dressing that is a staple in my kitchen. It’s bright, sweet, and tangy with lemon, Dijon, and garlic flavors in each bite and just a tiny hint of heat from the red pepper.

Salad Happiness

I’m thrilled to tell you that this salad is a spot-on match for the salad we enjoy so much at Harvest Pizza. And I’m able to make it every day at home now. It feels a bit like my salad-loving heart has found an early Christmas present.

What is a Chopped Salad?

The idea behind the popular chopped salads is that each bite will include a little bit of everything, with no need to cut anything further while eating. The key to a great chopped salad is to cut, slice, or chop every ingredient roughly the same size. The greens are usually cut to approxim

Pizza and salad might sound like total opposites, one’s cheesy, gooey, and indulgent, while the other is light, crisp, and refreshing. But put them together? You’ve got the best of both worlds in one bowl.

My love for big green salads has no limits, and I’ve been known to transform all kinds of comfort food into my kind of salad. I’m laughably known for my Fritos-Every-Day-Diet, as corn chips are my salad topping of choice most days.

Street tacos meet the Big Green Salad in this Carnitas Salad Bowl that I can’t get enough of lately. Crunchy lettuce is layered with juicy carnitas, tomatoes, avocado, onions, corn, beans, and cheese, then topped with a squeeze of lime. While I’m a huge fan of homemade salad dressings, this salad is so flavorful I just squeeze a lime over the top and finish with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

This BLT Salad is fully loaded with crunchy romaine lettuce, sweet tomatoes and fresh corn, salty bacon, rich and creamy avocado slices, cubed cheddar cheese, crunchy croutons, and the perfect ranch dressing.

BBQ chicken salad with sweet potato fries has become one of my favorite lunches over the past couple of years. This is a cold garden salad tossed with warm and saucy barbecue chicken, then topped with crisp, hot sweet potato fries.

All the awesomeness of the popular grinder sandwich is tossed into this salad with crunchy greens, juicy tomatoes, and a medley of meats and cheeses. Then it’s drizzled with a delicious creamy dressing to make this Italian grinder salad.

Pizza Salad

Fresh garden salad is topped with warm and cheesy pizza “croutons” for a fun and totally satisfying twist on pizza night. It’s playful, delicious, and as much fun to eat as