Spinach and Bacon Mason Jar Salads

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods, LLC.. All opinions are 100% mine.

‘Tis the season for potlucks, picnics, and outdoor entertaining, and I have just the recipe for you! These Spinach and Bacon Mason Jar Salads are easy to assemble in advance, they’re portable, and they are packed with a variety of salty, sweet, crunchy, and creamy textures. They are a simple, delicious way to feed your friends and family this summer.

I know that the idea of a Salad in a Jar has been a “thing” for quite a while now, but I’m a latecomer on the bandwagon. And let me tell you: I am SOLD! After experimenting with a few different recipes and a variety of ingredients, I’m happy to report that I’ve landed upon the perfect formula for a Mason Jar Salad, and there are SO MANY reasons to give this a try!

First, they’re portable. That means that you can take them in a picnic basket to the pool, to your friend’s potluck cookout, to your office for lunch, or in the cooler of your car for your family’s next road trip. Practical, right?

But it gets even better! By layering your salad with the dressing and heartier ingredients on the bottom, you have all of the components of your salad in one place but it never gets soggy. Because really…who wants a soggy, make-ahead salad?

And I really mean that these salads don’t get soggy! You can assemble all four mason jars at one time and keep them in the refrigerator for the week if you don’t need them all at once. Grab one and go as it suits your schedule!

Once you arrive at your destination, you just dump the ingredients out of the jar and onto a plate or large bowl. Toss them together so that everything is coated in dressing, and you have yourself a delicious side dish or light main course. Perfect for the warm weather months ahead!

I love a classic spinach and bacon salad, so that’s exactly what I’ve made here. Sometimes simple is BEST.

With just a few basic ingredients, your salads are ready in minutes. Once assembled, they keep well in the refrigerator for at least a few days. The star of the show, my friends, is this right here:

Hormel Black Label Bacon features exceptional varieties that never compromise on quality or taste. This line includes traditional bacon varieties, fully cooked bacon, thick cut bacon, and Canadian bacon.

I love that Hormel brands make recipes quick, easy, affordable, and tasty! If you don’t feel like cooking your bacon before making these salads, you could grab some of Hormel’s fully cooked bacon (it’s ready to go!). Or, you could grab a can of Hormel’s chunk chicken and add that to these salads. It’s inexpensive and simple! Perhaps best of all, though, is that I can pick up the Hormel products in just about any grocery store. Since I live in the country, this is HUGE. I don’t have to make a special trip to a fancy grocery store in Charlottesville or Culpeper to grab one or two items. Instead, I just scoop up my favorite Hormel products at my local grocery store during my weekly shop. That’s efficient, and definitely FAST. 

For these salads, I love to use the the Black Label Bacon, which I cook in advance and then chop up so that I can add it to my salads when I’m ready. Here’s my favorite way to cook bacon:

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup). Place a wire cooking rack on the baking sheet and then lay your uncooked bacon in a single layer on top of the rack. This will allow the grease to drip off as the bacon cooks.

I like my bacon pretty crispy, so I bake mine at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. If you prefer a chewier slice of bacon, just decrease the cooking time by about 5-7 minutes.

In addition to wide-mouth quart-size Mason jars and your perfectly-cooked bacon, you will also need the following ingredients for your salads: a simple dressing made with mayo, vinegar, salt, and sugar; hard boiled eggs; red onion; and baby spinach.

Then it’s just a matter of layering the ingredients in your jars (according to the recipe directions below). Then store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to dine!

And if you’d like even more delicious recipes, savings, coupons, shopping information, and other creative ideas, be sure to visit Hormel Foods, check out some Easy Recipe Ideas, and sign up for the Hormel Newsletter. 

Plus, if you have any awesome ideas of your own using Hormel’s Black Label Bacon products, be sure to share them on their Facebook and Pinterest pages!

SPINACH AND BACON MASON JAR SALADS

Serves 4

For the dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

For the salad:

4 cups baby spinach leaves

1 red onion, diced

8 slices Hormel bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

2 cups sliced mushrooms

4 (quart-size) mason jars

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup until completely combined.

Place a few tablespoons of dressing at the bottom of each jar.

Divide remaining ingredients among the jars, layering in the following order: red onion, egg, mushroom, bacon, spinach. Twist on the top to seal your salads and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Looking for other tasty ideas that are perfect for your next potluck? Give these a try:

Mom’s Marinated Vegetable Salad

Fruit Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing

Southern Pea Salad