Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

One of the best sides is a simple salad of lettuce and mixed vegetables paired with a delicious dressing like this to toss over and highlight everything.

But it has got to be a good dressing, not just some watery, flavorless, waste of ingredients.

This dressing has so much flavor, and it even includes parmesan cheese. You read that right, cheese added right into the dressing!

It tastes like the infamous Italian dressing from Olive Garden but fresher, richer and more flavorful!

You'll love that it's made with basic everyday ingredients you likely keep on hand, so you can make it anytime you want a homemade salad dressing.

Turn a boring, everyday salad into something to get excited about eating with this easy dressing recipe!

The perfect easy brunch side dish or holiday appetizer. A nostalgic recipe that should never be forgotten!

What are Deviled Eggs?

Deviled eggs are hard boiled eggs that have been halved, then the yolks are removed and mashed and mixed with various ingredients such as mayonnaise, mustard and seasonings. Yolk mixture is then stuffed back into the egg white cavity.

They also go by the names stuffed eggs, dressed eggs or Russian eggs. For me they are something like 90's eggs. They just totally take me back to my childhood.

My mom made these all the time, I don't know why I don't make them more often. Every time I do I'm love their creamy texture and unique yet simplistic taste.

Just going back to basic ingredients making a simple dish that stands the test of time.

For me I'm all about including the bacon but it's completely optional. These are actually so versatile and pretty forgiving.

Add a little of this, a pinch of that, a few small chops of this, and a dash of that. A fun recipe to switch up. Continue reading and I've listed some ideas to get you thinking so you can use up what you've got.

Easy Spinach Salad with Cranberries and Almonds

This salad is a breeze to make and the only chopping required is for the shallot, gotta love that!

Fresh spinach is layered with chewy dried cranberries, crisp sliced almonds, and a sweet and simple toasted sesame seed vinaigrette.

Easy Three Bean Salad Recipe

This classic three bean salad would be a a fun twist to serve up this healthy bean salad at Thanksgiving instead of the same old green bean casserole. I love all the bright flavors and the burst of freshness in this salad. I also love that it's something out of the norm from the classic lettuce-loaded salads.

It still has a delicious vinaigrette, but instead of tossing that over greens and the classic tomatoes, cucumbers, etc it's tossed over a mixture of fresh green beans, two types of kidney beans, bell pepper and a fair amount of red onion.

The great thing about this side dish — beyond its wonderful flavor — is that it's perfectly hearty thanks to the two pulses it contains (the light red and dark red kidney beans). What exactly is a pulse? You may be asking.

Pulses are any of the the following food items: beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils. Pulses are so versatile, and with just a few seasonings they become so delicious.

Not only are pulses so tasty, they are also a healthy, sustainable food source. I've taken the pulse pledge this year and so should you!

When you do, you commit to eating pulses once a week for 10 weeks and join a global food movement! Eating dry peas, lentils, beans and chickpeas helps reduce your carbon footprint – and it’s great for your health. Every 1/2 cup of cooked pulses delivers 9 grams of protein. All you have to do is visit PulsePledge.com and sign up!

Add this three bean salad to your menu soon! Everyone will love it!

Mandarin Pomegranate Spinach Salad

Those pretty fall/winter colors though! I love salads like this that are beautifully colorful and taste amazing. This vibrant dish will stand out on your Thanksgiving menu or Christmas dinner buffet.

This Mandarin Pomegranate and Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a great way to take advantage of the produce in season right now and it's just bursting with so much juicy freshness in every bite.

It is a perfect side dish to your favorite autumn meals and it would definitely be the hit of any get-together (it's like my Strawberry Spinach Salad that's always the first to go, but with seasonal produce).

This recipe is scaled for a single-family side salad, so if you're going to make it for a Thanksgiving dinner salad I would recommend doubling the recipe.

I spotted the first good pomegranates of the season a few weeks ago and I've been hooked ever since. Even though I already miss all of the fresh summer berries, I'm so glad there are still apples, pears, pomegranates, and oranges to look forward to this time of year. And they make such a delicious salad!

Preparing a Pomegranate for a Salad

It wasn't until later in life that I tried pomegranates for the first time and at first, I thought they were such a pain to seed.

My brother has a pomegranate tree in his backyard, and he showed me the most efficient way to get all those juicy little arils out by slicing, scoring, and tapping them out—but it still seemed somewhat complicated. So I still just do it the old-fashioned way by cutting in half, then kind of tearing the halves to sort of expose them more so I can pick them out in clumps.

Whatever works best for you right? I'll have to have my brother show me again though because his way was faster than mine. I've also heard people like this water method for seeding pomegranate.

Even if it took 30 minutes to get those arils out (don't worry—it doesn't!) it would be worth it for this salad. This is definitely a delicious and healthy salad I'll make again and again, especially as we near the holidays.

I love the pairing of mandarin oranges, pomegranates, and the two types of nuts in this salad. The balance of the creamy poppy seed dressing and avocados pulls the sweet and tangy together.

Mandarin Pomegranate Spinach Salad Variations

This salad is best in the fall and winter when this produce is in season, but I guarantee you can enjoy it year-round. Here are some variations you could try:

• Add chicken or shredded turkey for additional protein
• Add goat cheese or feta if you love a crumbly cheese with your salads
• Try craisins or dried cherries if you can't get your hands on fresh pomegranates
• Use candied walnuts or make your own to add more sweetness

More Salad Recipes You'll Love!

• Greek Salad
• Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad with Italian Dressing
• Garden Veggie Pasta Salad
• Autumn Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette