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OVERNIGHT SALAD INSPIRED BY SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

cook:

1 h

Picture for Overnight Salad inspired by Saturday Night Live

2,761,019 views  From Colon Blow to Taco Town to Shweddy Balls, SNL is known for its sometimes-temping, often-disgusting food parodies. Most pale in comparison, however, to the Overnight Salad: dripping with mid-century mayonnaise overdose, this send-up of 1950s American "cuisine" has been haunting me since its premiere last spring, and now finally it's here. Along with a practical version, because as it turns out, overnight salads are an actual thing for some reason. Don't forget the quarter (like I did)!

4 servings

US

original

metric

INGREDIENTS

For the SNL Version

For the SNL Version

Shredded lettuce

Shredded lettuce

Cheddar cheese, cubed

Cheddar cheese, cubed

lemon

1 lemon

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

Hot Dogs, halved

25 Hot Dogs, halved

handfuls raisins

2 handfuls raisins

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

Fritos

Fritos

Root Beer

Root Beer

Cookies

Cookies

Pizza

Pizza

Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Maraschino cherry, for garnish

For the Good Version

For the Good Version

egg

1 egg

mustard

1 tsp mustard

Kosher salt

Kosher salt

lemon

1 lemon

neutral flavored oil

1 cup neutral flavored oil

chili oil

⅓ cup chili oil

horseradish

3 tbsp horseradish

hot sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

sweet paprika

1 tsp sweet paprika

finely minced onion

2 tbsp finely minced onion

Rye bread, cubed

Rye bread, cubed

Purple cabbage, chopped

Purple cabbage, chopped

Arugula

Arugula

Swiss cheese, shredded

Swiss cheese, shredded

Deli pastrami, thinly sliced

Deli pastrami, thinly sliced

Cornichon pickles, chopped (optional)

Cornichon pickles, chopped (optional)

Potato Chips, crumbled (optional), for serving

Potato Chips, crumbled (optional), for serving

DIRECTIONS

1.

For the SNL Overnight Salad Method (Don’t Make This):

1.

In a large bowl, fill the bottom with a little bit of lettuce followed by a sprinkling of cubed cheddar cheese and the juice of one lemon.

Shredded lettuce

Shredded lettuce

Cheddar cheese, cubed

Cheddar cheese, cubed

lemon

1 lemon

2.

Add in enough mayonnaise to cover the cheese and enough that will hold 25 standing halved hot dogs.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

Hot Dogs, halved

25 Hot Dogs, halved

3.

On top of the hot dogs, cover with two handfuls of raisins and enough freshly ground black pepper to cover the raisins.

handfuls raisins

2 handfuls raisins

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

4.

Top with Fritos, and pour in enough root beer to cover the standing hot dogs.

Fritos

Fritos

Root Beer

Root Beer

5.

Add the cookies to the top before topping with a few slices of pizza and one final dollop of mayonnaise with a cherry on top. I do not recommend making or consuming this!

Cookies

Cookies

Pizza

Pizza

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Maraschino cherry, for garnish

6.

For the “Good” Version

1.

Start by combining egg, mustard, a pinch of salt, and the lemon juice in an immersion blender jar. Slowly pour neutral-flavored oil (i.e. canola oil) and blend until a thick emulsion forms. You now have homemade mayo!

egg

1 egg

mustard

1 tsp mustard

lemon

1 lemon

Kosher salt

Kosher salt

neutral flavored oil

1 cup neutral flavored oil

2.

Into a large bowl, combine the homemade mayo with chili sauce, prepared horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sweet paprika, and a couple of tablespoons of finely minced onion. Whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This makes your Russian salad dressing.

chili oil

⅓ cup chili oil

horseradish

3 tbsp horseradish

hot sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

sweet paprika

1 tsp sweet paprika

finely minced onion

2 tbsp finely minced onion

3.

To make croutons, cube up a bunch of rye bread. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss together, spread out, and bake at 300°F for 20-40 minutes.

Rye bread, cubed

Rye bread, cubed

4.

Slice deli pastrami into thin little bits

Deli pastrami, thinly sliced

Deli pastrami, thinly sliced

5.

Shred a ton of swiss cheese along with chopped purple cabbage before assembling.

Purple cabbage, chopped

Purple cabbage, chopped

Swiss cheese, shredded

Swiss cheese, shredded

6.

For assembly, start the bottom layer with some purple cabbage, then top with arugula, swiss cheese, and an optional sprinkle of cornichon chopped pickles.

Purple cabbage, chopped

Purple cabbage, chopped

Swiss cheese, shredded

Swiss cheese, shredded

Arugula

Arugula

Cornichon pickles, chopped (optional)

Cornichon pickles, chopped (optional)

7.

Top the pickles with a generous amount of the sliced pastrami, some more swiss, and another layer of arugula, cabbage, and cheese.

Deli pastrami, thinly sliced

Deli pastrami, thinly sliced

Swiss cheese, shredded

Swiss cheese, shredded

Arugula

Arugula

Purple cabbage, chopped

Purple cabbage, chopped

8.

Place in the croutons and top with another layer of arugula, cabbage, and swiss cheese. Make sure this layer of cheese is thick enough to block the dressing from reaching the other ingredients.

9.

Pour in the russian dressing on top of the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

10.

Optionally crumble a few potato chips on top of the salad when serving.

Potato Chips, crumbled (optional), for serving

Potato Chips, crumbled (optional), for serving

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