Take the best parts of a favorite sandwich, pair it with homemade ranch, and create a beautiful platter perfect for any crowd.
You’ve been invited to a potluck and it’s time to decide what to bring.
Maybe potlucks intimidate you. Maybe you think you don’t have the culinary talent to please a crowd. You scour Pinterest for something unique or you turn to a standard pasta salad that has been gracing the tables of potlucks for years (I’m a huge pasta salad fan, so don’t take that wrong).
Or, maybe you are a seasoned cook with a unique and delicious recipe tucked away. But not every amazing recipe is going to be a good fit for a potluck get-together, especially if it involves unusual ingredients or doesn’t travel well.
No matter where you fit in, this dish is for you. It is a simple, crowd-pleasing, easy traveling, who doesn’t love this stuff-type salad that will brighten up any table.
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The base are these pretty Little Gems.
They have the sweet taste of my favorite butter lettuce but with a fantastic crunch of a hearty Romaine.
For serving a crowd, I slice them in half and scatter them on a platter. Topped with sweet cherry tomatoes and crisp smoky bacon, it’s a deconstructed twist on a staple sandwich.
Just before serving, it gets a drizzle of buttermilk ranch that falls into all the nooks and crannies of the lettuce.
The dressing ties it all together. It is tangy, creamy, garlicky and so much better than anything store-bought. 
It’s all the ingredients of America’s favorite sandwich scattered on a platter. It doesn’t’ get any easier and it adds brightness to any food spread. 
Try my 7-Layer Salad with a Modern Twist for another easy way to serve up some greens at your next get-together.
What is your favorite potluck salad?
Take the best parts of a favorite sandwich, pair it with homemade ranch, and create a beautiful platter perfect for any crowd.
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives plus more for garnish
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 dashes Tabasco
- 2 packages Green Giant Little Gems Lettuce Hearts end cut off and sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 handful spinach leaves optional
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 6-8 slices of cooked thick cut bacon cut into small pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- chives for garnish
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Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk to combine well.
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Adjust seasonings according to taste.
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Transfer to a mason jar for easy storage and transport.
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Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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Scatter the spinach leaves on a large platter. This will help the lettuce hearts from sliding and add some color too.
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Arrange the sliced lettuce hearts on a platter.
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Scatter the tomatoes and the bacon on top.
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Garnish with the chives.
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Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
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Cover and chill until ready to serve.
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Drizzle the buttermilk over the salad. Serve additional dressing on the side.
For a more substantial and hearty salad, add fresh croutons.Â
Dressing will thicken as it chills. The garlic will become more intense the longer it sits, so if less garlic punch is desired, just use one clove. It can be kept in the refrigerator up to 4 days.Â
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This looks SO good…and perfect for the Father’s Day picnic!
Awesome! Thanks!
Yummy! I can’t wait to try this 😋
This looks delicious!! I have been wanting to make my own homemade dressing!
This looks so yummy and I always reach for Green Giant!
Thank you! I do too!
Seriously love a good veggie tray! Love that this one puts a slightly different twist on it! Beautiful presentation as well.
Thanks, Ashley! This salad is a hit!
As always another great recipe!!! We get so bored with salad but this is a new twist on it!! Thank you for sharing this!!
And it doesn’t get any easier to throw together.
Those little lettuces are adorable! I bet they are extra yummy, too! I’ve never seen them before, but I’m going to add them to my list and look for them specifically next time I go grocery shopping!
Aren’t they so cute!? I am addicted to them! Perfect sweetness and crunch !
Yum this sounds delicious. I am going to make it this weekend and enjoy it with the beautiful weather!
Oh, how nice! Enjoy!
This is always a winner around our house. It can be a full meal or first course.
That’s right!
Okay, yum! I can’t wait to get invited to a potluck and bring this 🙂
And so easy but beautiful! Enjoy!
Oh my gosh, this looks like such a delicious meal! I’ll have to try making it myself this week. So yummy!
Looks delicious!
Thank you, Racquel! 🙂