When it comes to homemade meals, it doesn't get much easier than salads. But it's a little too easy to get stuck in an iceberg lettuce and ranch dressing rut. To avoid this state of salad monotony, you need to build up a collection of interesting toppings and dressings.

There are so many great things you can do with salads, but sometimes you have to think outside the box. Try fruit instead of vegetables. Try nuts or seeds instead of cheese. And not all of your dressing needs to come from Kraft.

During the holiday season, there are a lot of festive ways you can dress up your salads. Here are some ideas you can use for inspiration.

1. Spinach salad with dried cranberries, pecans, red wine vinegrette, and dijon mustard
2. Romaine salad with lemon juice, apples, pears, poppy seeds, and swiss cheese
3. Spinach salad with strawberries, honey, cider vinegar, and almonds
4. Spinach salad with fresh blueberries, pecans, granny smith apples, and orange marmalade
5. Italian salad with plum tomatoes, cheddar cheese, turkey, and rotini pasta
6. Mixed greens salad with green onions, eggs, garlic, olive oil, raspberry vinegar, and raspberries

Whether you need to make a salad as an appetizer for a holiday party, or just throw together a quick lunch for your family, maybe some of these salads will help to bring you out of your ranch dressing rut.