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The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond is always looking for a way to add vegetables to her meat-loving brood‘s diet. One recipe she devised includes a pile of crispy greens topped with bacon and ranch dressing. While it may not be the lowest calorie salad you’ll ever eat, chances are everyone will ask for seconds when they taste the combination of savory flavors in this delicious side dish.

Ree Drummond poses in her kitchen where she tapes "The Pioneer Woman."
Ree Drummond | Discovery Press/Food Network

‘The Pioneer Woman’ star Ree Drummond loves to add salads to meals

Drummond finds that adding a salad to meals brings variety to the table and allows her to introduce crunchy vegetables and exciting dressings to her cooking repertoire.

Subsequently, this ranch chopped salad is a way to quickly use up items in the refrigerator that would typically be tossed in the trash.

Ways to clean out your produce drawer in salads include carrots, celery, onions, and peppers.

However, another great salad addition is stale bread, cubed and toasted in the oven.

This will make a delicious Panzanella, an Italian bread salad with tomatoes and onions.

The ingredients for Ree Drummond’s decadent Ranch Chopped Salad

Layered salad is another Pioneer Woman favorite that is chock-full of delicious ingredients.

This hearty salad is a meal unto itself. It is perfect for a quick lunch, a side that accompanies a protein, or even as part of a buffet.

The ingredients couldn’t be more straightforward and do not require a trip to the store for specialty ingredients.

These include almost a pound of bacon, mayonnaise, parsley, sour cream, buttermilk, chives, and garlic. Also added are salt, black pepper, iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, scallions, and cheddar cheese.

How to pull together this side that eats like a meal

Another fun way to get your daily greens in is to pair them with a homemade bread bowl.
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The Pioneer Woman: ‘Almost Everything From the Freezer’ Can Be Used as a Filling for Ree Drummond’s Veggie Tot Pie

Firstly, Chop bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook in a nonstick skillet until crispy.

Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside.

Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, bacon, and all but 1⁄2 cup of the cheese in a large bowl

To make the dressing, whisk mayonnaise, parsley, sour cream, buttermilk, minced chives, and garlic in a medium bowl until smooth—season with salt and pepper.

Add the dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

The full recipe is found on Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman website.

The Pioneer Woman airs Saturdays at 10 a.m. EST on The Food Network.

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