Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond’s Twist on a Classic Chef Salad Makes It Travel-Ready for Labor Day

Maneuvering a bowl of salad with a fork isn’t easy when on a picnic or at a barbecue. But The Pioneer Woman has a fun handheld twist on the classic summer dish. Here’s a breakdown of Ree Drummond’s Chef Salad on a Stick — a recipe perfect for your Labor Day festivities. 

Ree Drummond’s Chef Salad on a Stick is much easier to eat outdoors 

When on a picnic or at a barbeque, proper table seating isn’t always available. So it can be difficult to fork a delicious salad while standing or sitting on the floor. But Drummond came up with a genius way to make a handheld chef’s salad that is also travel-friendly. 

“Loaded with meats, cheeses, and veggies, these skewers would be perfectly at home as a BBQ side dish or a great addition to a picnic menu,” Drummond detailed the recipe on her website. “With a batch of easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs, there’s no cooking required.” 

“They can be made ahead in the morning and will stay perfect for lunchtime,” she added. “Best of all, they’re fun to eat. No need to stay seated for this salad course — just grab a skewer and keep enjoying the party!” 

The Pioneer Woman’s Salad on a Stick starts with boiling easy-to-peel eggs

Drummond starts by making hard-boiled eggs. As detailed on The Pioneer Woman website, to make them easier to peel, she drops the eggs in boiling water and cooks them at a gentle boil for about 13 minutes. Once cooked, the eggs are put in an ice bath to cool. 

To peel the eggs, Drummond taps them on her counter, rotating the eggs so each side gets a gentle crack. With the shell loosened, the eggs become very easy to peel. 

After the eggs are peeled, Drummond stores them in the refrigerator. For the Chef’s Salad on a Stick, she cuts the hard-boiled eggs into four pieces. 

How to assemble the salad skewers

Before assembling the skewers, Drummond chops, and slices the vegetables and meats. She cuts slices of roast beef, turkey, and ham lengthwise into inch-long strips and rolls them into pinwheels. 

Drummond then cubes a block of Swiss cheese (but any type of hard block cheese could work). And she slices a cucumber into half-inch thick circles. 

Then to assemble the salad skewers, she threads the Swiss cheese cubes first, followed by the sliced cucumber, a grape tomato, a piece of egg, and the ham, turkey, and roast beef pinwheels. Drummond then folds three pieces of red leaf lettuce and threads them onto the skewer and repeats the process, starting with the Swiss cheese, once more. 

Each skewer is finished with a large green olive. And they are served on a platter drizzled with ranch dressing and black pepper. Dressing can also be drizzled directly on top of the skewers when served. 

If making the salad skewers in advance, Drummond suggests only keeping them in the refrigerator for up to four hours before serving.