Mason Jar Cobb Salads with Lemony Herb and Yogurt Dressing

The Cobb salad is like the dessert of all salads.  If you were to take all my favorite ingredients and make a salad, the Cobb is the ultimate winner.  Bacon, avocado, tomatoes, cheese…oh my! It’s the perfect balance of being “healthy-ish” and craveable. The dressing is a lighter spin on a heavy traditional buttermilk, using mostly Greek yogurt and fresh herbs.  Mason jar salads are also a great meal prep recipe to start your week off right.

Apparently, the rumor is that the Cobb salad was invented by a man named Robert Cobb.  He was a restaurant owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby and invented the salad with the leftovers found in the kitchen.  During this pandemic, I am constantly inventing stuff from whatever is in my fridge, so I can totally relate to Mr. Cobb.  The ingredients are simple, it’s easy to make, and it’s healthy, yet comforting.  My next question, how can I get Mr. Cobb’s autograph and how much do you think it’s worth?

As I was making this salad, my husband asked what I was concocting in the kitchen.  I said “Mason Jar Cobb Salads”.  His response was “Fancy!”  Literally, nobody has ever once called a Cobb salad “fancy” until today.  In that moment, I realized I can put just about anything in a mason jar and people will think it’s fancy.  These days, you can’t walk into any hipster restaurant without some mason jar cocktail, mason jar plate, or mason jar candle.  In fact, Mason is one of the trendiest baby boy names right now.  So here you have it…my very fancy Mason Jar Cobb Salad. Put on your Fedora, tighten up those suspenders, and enjoy!

How to cook perfect bacon

In my opinion, the easiest and cleanest way to cook bacon is in the oven.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and lay out raw bacon.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-35 minutes until desired crispiness.  If you prefer to cook in a skillet, cook over medium high for 4-6 minutes per side until desired crispiness.  Pat dry with a paper towel. 

How to make perfect chicken breast

You can over complicate your life by adding 20 seasonings and marinade chicken breast for hours, but let’s be real, let the dressing and other ingredients be there hero here.  I simply salt and pepper both sides of chicken and drizzle with olive oil.  If you are feeling extra, sprinkle with paprika and place lemon slices on top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-25 minutes (depending on size of chicken) or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.  If you don’t have a digital thermometer, I highly recommend you purchase one.  It takes a lot of guessing out of cooking, especially for beginners.  Feeling extra lazy, or as I like to say…”efficient”? Just pick up pre-cooked chicken breast or a rotisserie chicken.

How to make the salads

For the dressing, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, salt, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic powder, and parsley.  Line up 4 mason jars (32 oz.) and place 1/4 cup of dressing in each.  Layer each jar with the tomatoes, avocado, chicken, blue cheese, sliced hardboiled eggs, bacon, and lettuce.  Eat directly out of the jar or pour into a bowl.  Don’t worry if you don’t have mason jars.  These salads present beautifully in a good ol’ fashion bowl.

How long do the salads keep?

I would eat within 24 hours for the freshest avocado.  If you are meal prepping, add the dressing and avocado when you are ready to eat the salads.  The salads should keep in the refrigerator for 3 days without the dressing and avocado.  The dressing can keep in the fridge in a sealed container for 7 days.  But I always recommend doing the sniff test and going with your instincts if it smells a little off!

Mason Jar Cobb Salad with Lemony Herb and Yogurt Dressing

Layered Cobb salads in mason jars with a creamy lemon herb and yogurt dressing. The salad is layered with cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese, chicken, lettuce and bacon. A great meal prep idea.

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40 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Salads

Ingredients

  

Lemon Herb Yogurt Dressing

• 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (approx 1 lemon)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Cobb Salad

• 2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (approx. 32 tomatoes)
• 2 avocados, cut into cubes
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped (approx. 12 oz.)
• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled (4 oz.)
• 4 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
• 1 cup cooked and chopped bacon
• 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

Instructions

 

Lemony herb and yogurt dressing

• Place the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce , onion and garlic powder, salt and fresh chopped parsley in a bowl. Whisk until combined.

Making the salads (4 mason jars)

• Place 1/4 cup of the dressing in each mason jar. In each jar add 1/2 cup cherry tomato halves, 1/2 avocado (cut into cubes), 1/2 cup cooked chicken breast, 1/4 cup blue cheese, 2 egg halves, 1/4 cup chopped bacon and top with 1 cup of chopped romaine lettuce.

Notes

• Use pork, turkey or beef bacon.  To make the recipe vegetarian omit the bacon.
• If you don't own mason jars the salads present beautifully in a bowl.  The mason jars are purely used to be cool.

Keyword keto, low carb, lunch, Meal prep, salads, summer