1st RECIPE POST: ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

I've been thinking of doing a recipe post for some time now. But how in the world do I decide which one to post? So much good food and so little time! Alas, after much consideration, I've decided to give you a recipe I mentioned in a previous post. It is that of my Italian Chopped Salad. It's a recipe that I got from my mother-in-law and is so yummy that sometimes, it's all we have for dinner. Here y'all are:

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

iceberg lettuce

sharp cheddar cheese

salami

tomatoes (I prefer grape, cherry, or Roma)

avocado

black olives

green onions

cucumber (we use English)

Caesar or Italian croutons

1 envelope Good Season Italian Dressing mix

water

vegetable oil

white vinegar

Make dressing using the mix, water, oil, and vinegar according to package directions. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Shred or chop the lettuce and put in a large bowl. Chop or shred each of the next 7 ingredients (cheese through cucumber) and add a layer of each on top of the lettuce. Just prior to serving, top with croutons and dressing and toss well.

NOTES:

• Unless a REALLY big salad has been made, start by going a bit easy on the dressing...a little can go a long way.
• My MIL also adds chopped green pepper but we're just not into it, hence the reason I left it off the list above. But you can add it if you want. If you like that kind of thing.

I'm going to try to post a recipe every week or two. Hopefully this will help get me out of my cooking rut and make me try new things. Or at least remember "oldie but goodie" recipes. Any requests? Send them to me and I'll try to appease.