Regardless of your Christmas dinner main course, the sides are just as important and should not be overlooked (or underestimated). Whether it’s Grandma’s green bean casserole or Aunt Barb’s stuffing, sides should be just as memorable, and salads are no exception.

The days of bagged salads and bottled salad dressings are over…at least in our house and catered party spreads.  Salads no longer have to be boring ice burg lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  Nope, we’ve moved into the unusual, the unexpected, and the un-boring!  Our salads use pears, freshly roasted beets, toasted walnuts, pickled red onions, and the most popular homemade salad dressings. So, for this Christmas, our gift to everyone is our salad dressing recipes, and they couldn’t be easier.

First up… our most popular dressing

Apricot-Ginger Vinaigrette

1 jar apricot preserves
1 TBSP ground ginger
1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Combine in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Then, our second most popular…

Bacon-Blue Vinaigrette

12 oz. bacon-fried crisp
4 oz. blue cheese crumbles
1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

Combine in a blender, and blend until smooth.

And lastly, our holiday dressing…

Spiced Cranberry Vinaigrette

1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 TBSP ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine in a blender, and blend until smooth.