The Laziest Side Dish You Can Serve At A Party Is Also One Of The Worst

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A dinner party should always have great sides. There are some consistent hits, like perfectly prepared mashed potatoes and sheet pan roasted veggies. But others completely fall flat. And possibly the worst side dish you can serve at a party is just downright lazy: bagged salad. It's often wilted by the time you serve it and may even start to decompose right inside the bag. But you can have your salad and eat it too. 

For some tips on how to avoid the issues that come with bagged salad without creating too much work for yourself on the day of the party, we reached out to an expert for a Chowhound exclusive. Chelsea Fagan is the co-founder of The Financial Diet and has a new book, "Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Planning, Throwing, and Attending Every Type of Party."

To completely bypass bagged salad at your next dinner, Fagan says you can make a fresh salad. You just need to plan ahead to reduce the amount of work you have to do the day of the party. "I always recommend prepping your veggies right when you buy them so they are always ready for assembly." She says you can simply wash them, but you can take the extra step of cutting them into the proper sizes and storing them separately in airtight containers, so they'll last longer. You can even store veggies like carrots and celery submerged in water in the fridge to keep them nice and crisp. Just change out the water every couple of days. With the veggies ready to go, the salad prep will only take a couple of minutes and can be done right before dinner.

For a great salad ratio, Chelsea Fagan likes a mixture of leafy greens, crunchy texture, richness, sweetness, and a bit of salt. But that doesn't mean you need 10 or more add-ins. She notes, "That could be radicchio, spinach, sliced apple, toasted walnuts, [and] shaved pecorino. Or it could be hearts of romaine, kale, sweet corn, toasted pumpkin seeds, and cotija cheese." She recommends using what you have. This might be the perfect opportunity to use up that canned heart of palm or water chestnuts. Toss in some defrosted frozen peas and add some grated cheese — pretty much any variety will work. With Fagan's method and your prepared veggies, there's no stress involved.

With all the time you've saved, you may even have time to make your own dressing. She says, "Making salad dressing is so easy, and [it] keeps for so long, there is no reason not to do it." Her go-to dressing is a quick Champagne vinaigrette — with some fresh herbs if you have them. She says it goes with anything, even that lame bagged stuff.

And, when you find the day of the dinner party has arrived, if bagged salad is all you have on hand, an ice bath can help revive wilted bagged salad, or you can spruce up store-bought salad with extras from your pantry or produce drawer. Some cheese and other flavorful, textural additions will do the trick.