Cobb Salad

Confession: I didn't eat salads until I was way into my teens. The reason? I never found them filling and was typically bored after a few bites. It wasn't until I tried a Cobb salad, filled with all sorts of hearty ingredients, that I changed my mind about leafy green meals.

The rainbow spread of toppings in a classic Cobb include bacon, tomato, egg, blue cheese, avocado, and shredded chicken, positioned neatly over a bed of romaine lettuce. While any dressing, from creamy blue cheese to balsamic vinaigrette, will complement the salad, my favorite way to eat it is with a tart red-wine vinaigrette, which helps cut through the rich flavors.

See the recipe to change your mind about salads.

When you're on the go yet looking for a filling, protein-packed lunch, the Cobb salad wrap has you covered.

In case you aren't familiar with a Cobb salad, it's a classic American salad that is typically loaded with bacon, chicken, blue cheese, egg, and avocado. This recipe isn't about reinventing the wheel — we're just trying to wrap it!

Once the salad is tossed in dressing, wrap it tightly inside a piece of flatbread for an easy way to eat on the go.

The beauty of this salad is that so many interesting and unusual ingredients come together. You may get a bite that's loaded with salty, smoky bacon, while the next will have a large hunk of funky blue cheese. I salivate just conjuring up memories of sinking my teeth into the flavor-filled wrap. To make lunch infinitely better, keep reading for the recipe

Our tasty and easy Dinnertime Crunch series continues with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs sharing their favorite 30-minute weeknight dinners that help Mom and Dad spend more time with the kids each night. Today's recipes come from Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, chef and owner of Boulder's Frasca Food and Wine, Pizzeria Locale, and Caffè.

It doesn't have to be hot to be considered dinner, does it? Not in Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's home. The 2008 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southwest and a Food & Wine Best New Chef may be known for re-creating the food of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, in Boulder, CO, but when it comes to creating a quick and healthy weeknight meal, he turns to an all-American classic. Like his fellow Top Chef Masters contestant (and Dinnertime Crunch contributor) Michael Chiarello, Lachlan takes it easy when cooking for his 4-year-old daughter, Lydia, turning to a chef salad not only because it's quick, but because it is full of bright colors and various food groups. "This is something we make with Lydia once a week. [It's] quick to put together. She helps put it together and it's a complete meal full of all sorts of different textures."

Keep reading to see Lachlan's kid-friendly Cobb salad recipe.