Chopped Salad with Hearts of Palm

So here's my issue with salad.....they're a lot of work to eat!  Back in the old days when I actually took lunch breaks I used to eat off the salad bar at work. Every. Single. Day. 

By the time I built my salad, waited in line to buy it, then sat down at the table I had about 20 minute left of my 30 minute break. Then I had to sit and stab at and cut everything up.  I absolutely HATE giant leaves of lettuce and big chunks of everything.  I much prefer everything to be bite size. Not only so I can get a little bit of everything in a fork full, but also so I can shovel it in my face faster with less mess.  I'm not a dainty eater and I need all the help I can get.

I would sit there for what seemed like forever hacking and sawing at everything with a plastic fork and knife leaving me with just a few minutes to eat and a cranky attitude

Since The Boy definitely doesn't need another reason for me to be cranky, at home I always make my salads chopped salads. It's the only way to go in my cookbook! (<----see what I did there?)

Here's a recent one I made that I really loved

And I really should just stop taking ingredients pictures...because I forgot something about 90% of the time.  In this case there's no roasted sunflower seeds pictured.  Use your imagination. They're small, grey, and crunchy...in case you were wondering


This is not really a recipe as much as it is an ingredients list.  Use however much ingredients you need depending on if you're making a salad for one or a crowd. You can swap out the bacon for turkey....or have both! You get the idea. Make it your own.  As long as it's all chopped up bite size you're good to go

Chopped Salad with Hearts of Palm

Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Crunchy lettuce like romaine or iceberg, chopped
Diced avocado
Chopped hearts of palm
Chopped hard boiled egg
Shredded cheddar cheese
Diced cucumber
Diced sweet bell pepper
Cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
Red onion, shaved or finely diced
Roasted sunflower seeds

Mix all ingredients together and dress with dressing of choice.  I used my Cilnatro Green Goddess Dressing which added a good brightness