Last fall, I had the opportunity to drive down the entire West Coast, starting from Canada and ending in Mexico. One of my favorite stops along the way was the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Oregon. You guys. Cheese sampling, ice cream cones, bright orange baby cheese loaf cars?
That is one great place.
Tillamook has it figured out. Their products are top notch, the real deal. Whether it’s ice cream, cheese, butter…you know you’ll be getting a high-quality food.
Real foodz. That’s what we’re all about. (Even if that “real food” we’re talking about is ice cream.) You guys, I have an addiction. It’s a problem.
Just look at that grin. Almost like I’m three years old and was just given the best gift in the world. Which is actually very accurate, because that’s how I feel every time I eat Tillamook ice cream…
While we’re on the topic of addiction and delicious food, let’s talk about this Spinach, Apple and Cheddar Salad with Balsamic-Maple Dressing…SO YUM. You guys, I’m telling you, this combo is straight addiction. Sweet cranberries, crunchy apples and pecans, creamy cheese, all doused in balsamic-maple goodness? Hello amazing fall meal, ready in 15 minutes tops.
This combo is delicious no matter what type of cheese you use, but if you want to do it right, we highly recommend using Tillamook’s Extra Sharp White Cheddar. The sharp but creamy taste compliments those sweet apples and cranberries like nothing else. We buy our cheese from Costco, but you can also order it online here.
It’s worth it.
Ingredients
- 3 cups spinach or kale
- 2 large Granny Smith (or other favorite) apples
- 6-8 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thinly slice or chop apples.
- Cut cheese into bit-sized cubes.
- Toast nuts over low heat on stovetop until browned slightly.
- Add all ingredients to bowl and drizzle with dressing.
- Combine vinegar, syrup and oil and blend.
- Season with salt, pepper to taste.
Notes
*Add chicken for more protein.
*This salad is best served with an extra-sharp cheese. We LOVE the taste of Tillamook's Extra Sharp White Cheddar!
Want another fun fall salad recipe? Try this Chicken, Kale and Quinoa Salad!
***This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase a product from a link, we receive a portion of the earnings. This doesn’t affect your price in any way, and we appreciate your help to keep Kiwi and Carrot up and running!
38 Comments
Looks delish and healthy! Great fall recipe that’s now on my list.
Thanks Mary! Hope you like it as much as we do 🙂
You had me at maple 🙂
Right? Anything with maple makes the list 😉
I love the artful display of apple!
Thanks Natalie! Apples are so pretty, they make any dish look yummy 🙂
This salad looks delicious and healthy!
Thanks Susan! Life is always better when healthy and delicious collide… 🙂
The simplest salads are usually the best and the best for you.
Candy, we couldn’t agree more. Simple is the way to go when it comes to salads!
I lovelovelove apple and cheddar cheese salads! Thank you for the reminder to make one soon!
Jennifer, I’m so glad you love this combo too! It’s the yummiest, right?
This salad looks delicious! I definitely want to try this recipe because I need more salads in my life! Lol!!
Melinda, we could all use more salads in life 😉 Give this one a try…hope you like it as much as we do!
This looks delicious. I love Tillamook cheese too. Can’t wait to try this.
Sara, right?! Tillamook is the way to go when it comes to cheese. And when you pair it with apples and cranberries? Too good.
Amazing!! Everything in this recipe has me drooling, especially using extra sharp cheddar. My fav!
Thanks Alisha! The extra-sharp cheddar does make this even better. Hope you love the recipe!
Wooow. Another great post to add in my salad recipe list.
Hope you like it!
Delicious! What a great combo of flavors. I look forward to trying this!
Thanks Kate! It is a yummy combo 🙂 Hope you love it!
Delicious ! I love your photography
Thanks Idriss! It’s a tasty salad. It’s encouraging to hear you like our photography as well! Thanks for the feedback.
This salad is beautiful! So perfect for fall. Love apples in salads!
Thanks Christine! The apples give it a yummy crunch 🙂
Excellent salad, I’m not super into nuts in my salads so I personally would take the sharp cheddar and bake it into a crisp for the crunch. LOVE the maple dressing!
Vy, that is a brilliant idea! We’ll have to try baking our cheddar next time we make this. Thanks for the tip!
Mmm! Looks good! That cheese looks delicioussss!
Thanks Rachel! And yes…the cheese is a tasty one!
This looks incredible. I know they can get some flack, but I love salads. It’s almost lunch and I want this right now!
Thanks Mary! I’m all about the salads…especially if you load them up with cheeezzz and apples 😉
That salad looks so yummy! I would not have thought to put maple syrup in the dressing. Thanks for putting the recipe together, definitely saving this for later. 🙂
Thanks Elizabeth! The maple syrup is a unique touch but adds some yummy flavor. Hope you like it!
This looks gorgeous and so tasty! I love the pairing of apples and cheddar and turning it into a salad is genius. Yum!
Thanks Valentina! Apples + cheddar = theBOMB.com. So glad you agree! Hope you like the salad.
I used to make a salad – got the recipe off epicurious.com – that had a creamy maple dressing, mixed greens, apples…this reminds me of that one and the cheddar/apple combo is always a winner. Pinning this one – thanks!
Mmmm your salad does sound similar to ours and just as yummy! Anything with maple dressing can’t be bad 😉 Thanks for pinning!