Turkey and Ham Cobb Salad

A Cobb Salad is full of flavor so it never need be boring. This one with ham and turkey gets dressed up with bacon and leeks.

I didn’t plan to post another ham recipe but while I was scrolling through food photos, this one jumped out at me and said, “Pick me!” So, if you’ve got leftover ham and hard cooked eggs from Easter, you are in luck. This salad will come together super easily.

Since I love blue cheese, avocado, and bacon this here’s one of my very favorite salads in the whole world: the Cobb. Supposedly, it was invented in the 20’s as a way to use up leftovers. Another reason why I like it!

There’s a clever way to remember what goes on this classic salad: EAT COBB. The saying stands for “egg, avocado, tomato, chicken, onion, blue cheese, and bacon.” I’ve tweaked it just a bit, letting ham and turkey cold cuts (C!) stand in for chicken while leeks play for their close relative, the onion.

(You will love how the bacon and the leeks go so well together!)

This salad really is a meal in itself. Everything is just packed with flavor. Tradition says to line up the toppings across the salad greens. That’s kinda what makes folks recognize that it’s a Cobb Salad.

It also comes together really quickly. I’ve clocked myself at preparing it in less than 30 minutes, egg cook time included. But, if you like, you can pre-chop everything and have it ready to assemble in advance. It’s an ideal entree salad for the coming warm weather.

Grab some fun salad tools for summer!

I like buying pre-cooked bacon in big bags at Costco. I was skeptical that it would be tasty — it is — or that it would pencil out pricewise — it does — but it proved me wrong. It is so convenient to pull out just a few slices to add bacon flavor to dishes. Trader Joe’s sells an uncured, precooked variety as well. I love easy. Sigh.

I also buy the blue cheese at Costco or Trader Joe’s, usually choosing Maytag Blue or Gorgonzola. Both are yummy on this salad. A little goes a long way, so freeze it in small portions so that you can stretch your purchase over a few months and not worry about it going bad.

Not everyone loves blue cheese, so you could definitely substitute a different variety if you like. I’d try pepper jack or cheddar. It won’t be a Cobb, technically, but it will still be yummy.

This salad is naturally gluten-free, but be sure to read all the labels to make sure the deli and bacon people didn’t pull a fast one. If you omit the cheese, it’s also Whole 30 compliant.

Looking for more bright ideas to get dinner on the table? My latest cookbook is here! And it’s designed just for you to make dinner quickly, easily, and affordably.
You can beat the clock without breaking the bank. And you’ll eat well too.
Click here to see what’s inside and to buy your copy.