Seasonal Salad with Homemade Croutons

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The Recipe Redux December 2017: We’re playing a little party game at the end of 2017: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 201, 17, 217 – or any combination of the number ‘2017.’ (Of course, please don’t forget to credit the original recipe and change enough of the recipe to make it your very own.)

Since I’m in the process of moving (yes again- more on that soon!) so I ended up checking out a friends Betty Crocker cookbook and screenshotted any pages that related to the number 17. Cake, pork fried rice, and baked apples were all a no go but once I settled on page 117 and found a recipe for croutons I decided to expand on that and make a seasonal salad. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared a true salad recipe and even though I know most people tend to get away from salads in the winter I thought sharing a simple and delicious one might be inspiring.

I started with an arugula base and bought a delicious bread (multigrain seed) for the croutons. I decided to add some roasted sweet potatoes and blue cheese to make it a hearty winter seasonal salad. I opted to use the tangerines I bought to make a dressing complete with ginger and Dijon mustard. (I think Dijon mustard is the secret to any homemade dressing).

This is a really simple salad to add to your holiday table if you’re looking to add some greens or balance out all the carbs or meat. The blue cheese can be subbed with a sharp cheddar if you have any less adventurous eaters at the table. Arugula could also be substituted with any greens you have on hand. The homemade croutons will be sure to impress any guests. Or if your holiday menus are completely set feel free to prep this for lunch or a side dish during the week. It’s a hectic time of year so no fuss lunches are the best options. I am pairing this seasonal salad and homemade croutons with Greek yogurt and a side of trail mix for lunches all week long. (Dinner is leftover pizza because who has time to cook right before the holidays!?!?!)

(Recipe for homemade croutons adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook)

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season 🙂