Leftover Indiana Salad
intro
Creamy, crunchy, and deeply nostalgic, this leftover-friendly Hoosier classic turns random fridge odds and ends into a satisfying, crowd-pleasing cold salad perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Steps
Chop Vegetable Components
Place the maple cutting board in the center of the counter work area. Using the 8-inch walnut-handled chef knife, dice celery into uniform ¼-inch pieces, finely dice red onion, and cut any oversized leftover roasted potato chunks into ½-inch cubes. Pat thawed sweet peas dry with a corner of the blue gingham towel (returning the towel to its fixed top-right position after use) to remove excess surface moisture, which would thin the dressing. Collect all prepped vegetables in the large stainless steel mixing bowl as you work.
Toss in Protein Ingredients
Add the 2 cups diced leftover ham and 3 chopped hard-boiled eggs to the vegetable mixture in the large stainless steel bowl. Use the pale cream silicone spatula to give the ingredients one gentle initial fold to distribute them evenly, taking extra care not to mash the soft hard-boiled egg yolks, which would make the dressing murky. At this stage, the mixture should show an even mix of pink ham, pale yellow egg, and bright vegetable chunks with no dressing added yet.
Whisk Creamy Dressing
In one of the small clear glass prep bowls, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Use the small stainless steel whisk to stir the mixture for 30 seconds until completely smooth, with no visible lumps of mayonnaise or undissolved sugar granules. The finished dressing will be a pale creamy off-white with a thin, easily pourable consistency.
Fold Dressing Through Salad
Pour the entire batch of smooth dressing over the dry protein and vegetable mixture in the large stainless steel bowl. Use the cream silicone spatula to gently fold the ingredients by scraping from the bottom of the bowl upward, coating every piece evenly in dressing. Fold for 45-60 seconds total, taking care not to over-mix or mash the soft potato and egg chunks, which would create a mushy texture.
Add Cheese and Chill
Sprinkle 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the dressed salad, folding gently only twice to distribute the cheese evenly (over-mixing will cause the cheese to break down and make the dressing grainy). Loosely cover the bowl, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes, which allows the flavors to meld and the dressing to set slightly. Do not add croutons at this stage, as they will absorb moisture and turn soggy as the salad chills.
Plate and Garnish Salad
Remove the chilled salad from the refrigerator, giving it one final gentle fold to redistribute any dressing that settled at the bottom of the bowl. Transfer the entire salad to the matte off-white ceramic oval serving platter, mounding it slightly in the center. Top with ¼ cup slightly crushed leftover croutons and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh curly parsley, finishing with one light grind of black pepper over the top. Serve immediately, or keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hours (add croutons only right before serving if storing).
Tips
2.Hold off on adding croutons until the moment you serve the salad: even stale leftover croutons will quickly absorb moisture from the dressing and turn soft and mushy if left to sit for more than 15 minutes, robbing the salad of its signature crunchy contrast.
3.This recipe is intentionally flexible for leftover use: swap diced ham for leftover roasted chicken, crumbled bacon, or canned tuna, and mix in any leftover cooked veggies (sweet corn, blanched green beans, diced dill pickles, or even chopped leftover macaroni) you have on hand to cut down on food waste without sacrificing flavor.
OMG this is such a game changer! We had a ton of leftover ham and hard boiled eggs from our Easter family dinner and I had no clue what to do with them besides make egg salad. Threw this together in 10 minutes flat last night and my kids devoured it! Even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds. Brought the rest to my work potluck today and everyone was asking for the recipe. SO good.
Wait, hold up — I grew up in southern Indiana and my grandma made this exact salad every single Sunday after church! I haven’t had it since I moved to Texas 8 years ago, I can’t believe I never thought to make it with leftovers from the fridge instead of making everything from scratch. Total no brainer. Saved this to my meal prep rotation for weeks I don’t feel like cooking after work.
I swapped the leftover ham for roasted chickpeas to make this vegan and it still slapped! Used leftover roasted corn and black beans from taco night too, tossed with a little vegan mayo and apple cider vinegar. 10/10, will be making this all summer for backyard cookouts.
Made this for our neighborhood block party last weekend and it was the first dish gone! I used leftover grilled chicken, cold pasta from the night before, chopped celery, onion, and that little splash of apple cider vinegar like the recipe says. People were hovering over the bowl I swear. Only note: make a double batch, trust me.
Zero cook time? Sign me up. I’m so sick of spending 2 hours every Sunday prepping meals for the week, this took me literally 7 minutes to throw together with leftover baked potatoes, bacon bits from breakfast, and hard boiled eggs I had in the fridge. Tastes way better than those sad grocery store pre-made salads.
Perfect for college football tailgates! I made a big tub of this before the IU vs Purdue game last weekend and it held up great through the whole pre-game, even when it was 75 degrees out (we kept it in a shaded cooler obviously). Way less messy than burgers, no assembly required, just grab a fork and go.
So happy this is naturally gluten free as long as you don’t add pasta! I used leftover roasted veggies, turkey, and quinoa from last night’s dinner, tossed with the recommended mayo and mustard combo, and didn’t even miss the croutons or pasta. My husband who hates “healthy food” went back for two helpings.
Full transparency, I’m a total beginner in the kitchen and I burned toast yesterday. This was the first recipe I’ve ever made that didn’t require me to turn the stove on and it actually turned out good? My roommate thought I ordered it from the deli down the street lmao. 10/10 for people who can’t cook to save their lives.
I know everyone raves about the sweet relish in this, but I swapped it for diced green olives and a little paprika and it was chef’s kiss. Don’t be afraid to tweak it to your taste, people! The whole point is using up random leftovers so it’s never going to be exactly the same twice.
My mom used to make a version of this when we were kids called “fridge clean out salad” but I never knew it was a classic Indiana thing! I used leftover pot roast, mashed potatoes (yes, cold mashed potatoes work trust me), peas, and a little sour cream mixed with the mayo. Tasted exactly like my childhood.
This saved me so much money this week! I had a bunch of random odds and ends in the fridge that I was about to throw out because I thought they weren’t enough to make a full meal — half a pack of deli turkey, some leftover steamed broccoli, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a little bit of cheddar. Tossed it all together with this recipe’s dressing and got 3 full lunches out of it. Zero food waste, zero extra grocery spending. Obsessed.
Added a big scoop of hot giardiniera to mine for a little kick and it was insane. I know traditional Indiana salad is supposed to be sweet and tangy but the spicy brine cut through the mayo so well. 10/10 would make again, probably add extra hot peppers next time too.
Wait quick question — how long does this last in the fridge? I’m making it for a friend’s baby shower on Saturday and I was gonna prep it Friday night to save time, but I don’t want it to get all soggy. Help!!
Made this on a whim after our 4th of July cookout when we had a ton of leftover hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans just sitting in the fridge. Chopped up the hot dogs, mixed all the sides together with a little extra mustard, and my teens ate the entire bowl before I could even get a serving. Who knew leftover mishmash could be that good?!
I work as an elementary school lunch lady in upstate New York and we started using this recipe to repurpose leftover lunch sides at the end of every week! We mix leftover steamed veggies, diced grilled chicken, pasta, and roasted potatoes with a simple creamy dressing and the kids go crazy for it. It’s cut our weekly food waste in half and the kids think it’s a fun new special instead of “leftovers”, total win win.