Chicken Apple Sausage Mason Jar Salad

Chicken Apple Sausage Mason Jar Salads are an easy and healthy meal prep option that are perfect for lunches. An easy apple cider vinaigrette dressing topped with chicken sausage, apples, dried cranberries, pecans, and lettuce. Making a salad in a jar lets them last in the fridge for the week.

Ingredients for this Greek Chickpea Mason Jar Salad Recipe:

• Chicken Apple Sausage - the kind that is already cooked. You can find it at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section near the packaged deli meats and hot dogs.
• Pecans
• Dried Cranberries
• Apples
• Lemon Juice - tossed with the chopped apples to prevent browning
• Spring Mix - or other lettuce of choice, I also love using shredded kale
• Apple Cider Vinaigrette: Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Dijon Mustard, Honey, Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper

How to Layer a Mason Jar Salad:

Properly layering the salad ingredients is KEY to having the salads last for days in the fridge without anything getting soggy.

1. Dressing - This always goes in the bottom so you can separate it from ingredients to keep things nice and crisp.
2. Proteins - The sliced chicken apple sausages. You could also sub diced or shredded, cooked chicken
3. Apple - The chopped apples are tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning
4. Dried Fruit and Nuts - Dried Cranberries and Pecans, but you could substitute a different nut if you'd like. Almonds or walnuts are also great. The pecans and cranberries help form a layer/barrier between the wetter ingredients and the lettuce.
5. Leafy Greens - These always go last so they are the furthest away from the dressing. For this salad in a jar we're using spring mix, but you could substitute a different lettuce.

Check out this Quick Video!

Recipe Tips and FAQs:

Time Saving Tip! You can use store-bought dressing

This apple cider vinaigrette is super simple, but you could substitute a store-bought dressing to save time.

Just add 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing for each jar.

Do I have to use mason jars?

I like to use mason jars for a few reasons..

• They easily keep the dressing and other ingredients separated allowing the salads to last several days in the fridge
• Glass = no staining or keeping smells like plastic does
• And dishwasher safe for easy cleaning

You can use a different container, but you may need to put the dressing in its own individual container and the ingredients may not stay as crisp and fresh.

How long can these salads last for meal prep?

In the mason jars, the salads keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.

By the 5th day, the apples may be starting to soften and the lettuce may be slightly less fresh, but will still taste great and be perfectly fine to eat.

I typically make 4 salads on a Sunday to eat for lunch Monday-Thursday.

What about ingredient substitutions?

You can omit any ingredient you like! Go ahead and add more of something or add a different lettuce, protein, or nuts/dried fruit. You could also add some cheese - such as crumbled goat cheese - right after the sliced chicken sausage.

As long as you follow the layering 'rules' stated above, ie keeping the lettuce separated from the dressing and wetter ingredients.

What size of mason jar?

This recipes uses large quart sized mason jars or 32oz mason jars. They are big and make large, very filling salads.

You could use pint (16oz) sized jars and make 8 salads instead of 4. This is good option if you want the salads to be the side, instead of the main course.

Where can I buy mason jars?

You can find mason jars at many stores! Most grocery stores will carry them, at a store like Target or Walmart, even hardware stores.

Or of course you can find them online!

Looking for other healthy mason jar salad ideas?

• Thai Quinoa Mason Jar Salads
• Lemon Chickpea Quinoa Mason Jar Salads
• Greek Chickpea Salad in a Jar

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