This apple and cheddar salad is exactly how I convinced my daughter's picky friend (who normally does not eat ANY leafy greens) to eat salad! I knew she was a big fan of cheese, and what kid doesn't like apples? So I thought that maybe it'd be the perfect combination to entice her! I am sure having an influence outside of her parents offering the salad helped, but she even surprised herself when she first took a bite and decided she did actually like it.
So when she was over recently for my daughter's birthday celebration, I made this salad again and was sure to tell everyone it was "her favorite." She backed that up by telling all their friends, "It really is good, and I don't even like salads." Positive peer pressure at its best, right? Much to my surprise, when they were done eating (along with the pizza we served), the whole big bowl of salad was almost gone! I was truly prepared for a lot of leftover salad so I was really pleased and decided to share this magical little combo with you here on the blog! As far as easy recipes go you cannot get much better than this—just a few minutes of prep time and you're done. Make sure to have this apple cheddar salad in your rotation if you have picky kids. :)
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Cheddar and Apple Salad (kid friendly!)
Ingredients
- 1 XL head bibb lettuce (or two small)
- Half apple (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or similar variety (not red delicious since it browns quickly when cut))
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed, plus extra for the apples)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (finely grated, or 1 ½ cups, depending on how much you like cheese)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin olive oil preferred)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Wash and chop the lettuce and place in a large bowl.
- Core and dice the apple into small bite-sized pieces. Toss with a few squirts of fresh lemon juice and then sprinkle the apple pieces on the lettuce along with the cheddar.
- In a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid shake together the dressing ingredients (olive oil and lemon juice) to emulsify. Toss with salad, season with salt and black pepper, and serve.
Adarsh says
Wow good...!!! Thanks
Amy J says
I've made the version from your cookbook a few times (goes over well at family gatherings!) which doesn't include lettuce, but I love the idea of adding it! Will definitely try it this way, and maybe with spinach as well :-) Thank you for all you do!
AMW says
Good one! Thank you I must try this with my picky eating boys (including husband) at home.
Sydney McMillan says
That looks really good! Would it work with spinach do you think?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Yes, you could use spinach.
Sydney McMillan says
Thank you!