Are you looking for more convenience and less culinary in your Summer Tossed Salad? Then this delicious yet filling throw-it-together meal is right up your alley! It was inspired by a favorite salad at a national chain restaurant that I simply get a hankering for every so often. It’s a classic USA kind of salad, with all our stereotypical favorites. And that’s what makes it so stinkin’ good, even to those of us who appreciate the finer things in life.

For this salad, there are three ingredients you’re going to need to “cook” first:

Chicken tenders, chopped into chunks – Yep, good ole premade frozen chicken strips that you toss on a sheet pan into your oven and bake according to package directions. Use whichever brand you prefer; we always go with the Applegate brand.

Bacon, chopped into bits – Nowadays, you can buy precooked bacon and even bacon bits. We prefer to bake our bacon strips in the oven and chop it ourselves once it’s cooled. Choose whatever works for you.

Hard-boiled eggs, diced – Simply boil up several eggs, peel them, and chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Once you have those prepped, you just need a handful more ingredients:

Your favorite lettuce, chopped – If you’re pressed for time, get the pre-cut mixes.

Shredded cheese – Convenience lovers, pre-shredded is fine. Just know there’s cornstarch mixed into those bags to keep it from clumping. We prefer grating our own extra sharp cheddar, but pick whatever cheese suits your fancy.

Diced tomato – Nope, you don’t even need to seed it. Just chop it up.

Dressing of your choice – Around here, we firmly believe Cobb salads were made to be smothered in Ranch, especially our delicious homemade Ranch. But feel free to choose whichever dressing sounds tasty to you.

A crunch factor – I always finish off my Cobb salads with some salted sunflower seeds. There’s something sublime about the salty crunch of seeds in a salad, and this one is no different. However, some of us prefer croutons. They’re a classic in a Cobb salad! And of course, others choose to add both.

To assemble, just toss everything into a large bowl and serve. It’s that easy! Nothing screams American summer like this quick and easy salad!