Pagliaccio Salad (Copycat Recipe)

One of our favorite take-out meals to bring back to the house on a Redbox movie night was a pizza and salad from Pagliacci's down the street.  Specifically, it would be the 11" Margherita and party sized Pagliaccio Salad.  The pizza was $12.99 and salad was $13.99.  They had smaller sizes for the salad that were cheaper, but we never had any leftovers when ordering the party size.

After staring at the menu one day while waiting for the takeout order, we noticed how simple it was to replicate the salad and save $13.99 each time and even potentially have leftovers.  On top of that, we were able to control what and how much of the ingredients went into the dish, i.e., less or no cheese, less dressing, and substituting the salami for chicken as a healthier alternative.

So here it is....we think our substitutes and own house-made dressing make it taste way better than the original at Pagliacci's and are able to make 3x as much at a 1/3 of the cost.  Let us know what you think!

 
Pagliaccio Salad Ingredients:

• 1 bunch green leaf lettuce (chopped to desired size) - $1.30
• 1 red bell pepper (diced) - $1.00
• 1/2 red onion (diced) - $0.40
• 1 can garbanzo beans (drained) - $0.89
• Handful of cooked chicken breast fajita meat (chopped) - $0.50
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional) - $0.10

 
Honey Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing:

• Dijon mustard - $0.20
• Apple cider vinegar - $0.10
• Honey - $0.20
• Salt and pepper - N/A
• Olive oil - $0.20

Estimated Cost:  $4.89

Directions:

1. Lay down chopped green leaf lettuce on serving plate
2. Sprinkle desired amount of diced red bell pepper, red onion, garbanzo beans, and chicken on top
3. Lightly shake grated Parmesan cheese on top
4. Mix dressing ingredients together until smooth (adjust amount of mustard, vinegar, and honey according to taste)
5. Add dressing and freshly cracked black pepper just before serving

Calories per Serving:  <200 (one big plate)
Triple H Rating:  9 out of 10 (4 for health and 5 for cheapness factor)