So, this past weekend the “3 Ring Circus” (that’s what I lovingly refer to as my family of 3) hit the road to visit my brother and his family. One of the things that made this trip so special was the fact that we got to stay on their houseboat. Boy, did we have fun! If you’ve ever been boating or anywhere that requires food in a cooler you know it is essential to make the food count. I am always looking for ways to make the food on the boat delicious, easy, and no cleanup. We are all trying to eat a bit healthier right now. So for this trip, I put my thinking cap on and came up with these Easy TO GO Salads. From salad, to container, to cooler, to trash. Nothing to carry home for cleanup. You are gonna want all the details!

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So…there are multiple ways to make these To Go Salads with no cleanup possible. My first idea requires my easy To Go Cold Cut Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches. Those sandwiches are my all time favorite and once again I must say my brother is brilliant! That idea is a must try and one we use all the time! We use Great Value cold cuts for those sandwiches. The little containers that the cold cuts come in are similar to those inexpensive disposable tupperware you can purchase. But why make the extra purchase if you are buying lunch meat anyway? Once you give those little sandwiches a try, you’ll be happy you did. But, keep those containers. Don’t throw them away.

At this point, you have checked out my favorite cooler recipe of all time. You’ve made those little sandwiches that require no cleanup. What do we do with the leftover lunch meat containers? Wait for it….! They are the perfect 1 serving size for a salad.

To Go Salads

Mix up your favorite salad fixings in a big bowl until well combined and place the salad in those those leftover containers. Use anything your heart desires that makes a salad great for you. Make it as healthy as you want or as indulgent as you want.

I buy these little disposable containers  that are the perfect size for dressing. Add the little container of dressing, a fork, add the top, and place in a cooler. The lunch meat label peels right off the top of the container, so make sure and remove it before placing in the cooler. Now, you are all set! But wait a minute, I have more To Go Salads ideas for you!

To make life, in general, a little easier, I buy these big containers of salad mix. I pull the greens out of the container and place in a large bowl. I mix in all of my favorite veggies and toppings except for the dressing. Then I place the loaded up salad back in the container. This gives me prepared salad all week long to pull from. To make life easier on the boat and to feed many people I do the same thing. I add small containers of dressing right into the salad container along with forks. When the salad has been eaten, the container can go right in the trash. That’s how you make To Go Salads Family Style!

This salad idea works great for home and the boat but would also be great for a picnic, the beach, the ballpark, camping, and tailgating.

Another easy way I like to dish up these To Go salads in these throw away containers is by using…

a Rotisserie Chicken. These things are so unbelievably awesome. I use them all the time. For around $6 and I don’t even have to turn my stove on…pure heaven! If I have leftover grilled chicken I will use that but a rotisserie chicken is my go to.

One of my favorite ways to eat To Go Salads is with rotisserie chicken, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, feta cheese, and balsamic dressing. When making salads for the small containers, mix them up anyway you like.

I also like to put in chopped veggies with little disposable containers
of dip. The lunch meat containers would be great for fruit too.

From salad, to container, to cooler, to trash! There is nothing left to carry home for cleanup!

I hope you give this idea a try! Make sure and check out those To Go Cold Cut Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches too. We had the sandwiches and the salads this past weekend and it made the perfect easy no cleanup lunch!

Do you have any great ideas to make packing your cooler easy, delicious, and mess free? Let me know. I’m always in need of a new idea.