Turkey Chef Salad

This delightful turkey chef salad is a post-holiday take on the classic Chef Salad. Layers of leftover turkey, bacon, cheddar and monterey jack cheeses, hard boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and croutons are set on a generous bed of fresh lettuce. It's the perfect light lunch or dinner meal after all of the rich foods from the holidays!

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I love a good salad after the holidays! You know, once you run out of the rolls for quick sandwiches, right?!

No, seriously I do love a good salad. It's nice to have something light and easy to make sometimes especially when you have a blog named Bake It With Love. Sounds like a good start to a sugar induced coma!

And I can't actually call this leftover turkey chef salad a strictly post-holiday meal, as my husband is a roasted turkey addict. Turkey is a super cheap meat to buy, and it goes a long way as far as how many meals I can get off of it. Heck, why not go ahead and cook up a turkey every few months or so throughout the year?

Your typical chef salad, also called a chef's salad, has a base of lettuce with meat, hard boiled eggs, and cheese. Frequently meats like turkey and ham ( or chicken or roast beef ) are combined, with a combination of cheeses using cheddar and a white cheese like Swiss or monterey jack.

How To Make A Turkey Chef Salad

If you have a minute to chill your plate or bowl that you will be serving your salad(s) on or in, this is a nice touch to keep your lovely salad fresh and crisp until you are done enjoying it. Set them in the refrigerator while you prep your food.

Start with cleaning and drying your iceberg, romaine, or green leaf lettuce to use as the base of your chef's salad. Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces. This is preferable over using a knife to slice the lettuce, as the cut lettuce edges will brown quickly when stored. If you're using all your salad up in one serving, then it doesn't matter at all if you tear or slice.

Place your lettuce on a large plate or in a large salad bowl. Arrange your toppings on the bed of lettuce in strips, as shown, or in wedges around the center like a clock. Or pile them all up, since they're all going to the same place anyway? Whichever way is visually pleasing to you!

My toppings that I have included here are the quartered hard boiled egg ( which is also frequently sliced for a chef salad ), halved cherry tomatoes, cooked bacon bits or crumbles, grated cheddar cheese and monterey jack cheese, and some croutons. Other commonly used toppings include cucumber, green onion, carrots, and radishes. Swiss cheese and colby or colby-jack are also commonly used cheese choices.

Use what you like and have on hand to round out your delicious turkey chef's salad. Top your salad off with Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing. Other salad dressings commonly used on a chef salad include Thousand Island, French Dressing, or a creamy dressing type. *Chef salads are not typically made with a vinaigrette dressing.

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