BLT Chopped Salad

This is a really delicious salad, but then in my book almost anything with bacon is really delicious!  Sometimes I crave salads and I'm always looking for a new twist

 on throwing one together.  I found this one on Pinterest, it originated from howsweeteats.com
I've made a few small changes as I usually do when trying a new recipe.  I think that's what makes cooking fun, when you make a recipe your own by adding extra of what you like most
or experiment a little with the ingredients.  Don't be afraid to put your own touch on a recipe.

I loved this salad!!! It's packed with flavor and lots of my favorite things.

It's one we'll be eating again at my house. It was a lot like having a BLT without the bread.

What you need:

1 head butter lettuce chopped

About 2 cups spring mix salad greens

1 pint grape tomatoes cut in half (use half or all of the pint, whatever you desire)

1 1/2 cups sweet corn (I use thawed frozen corn)

2 avocados chopped

4 ounces feta cheese

1 green bell pepper diced

8 to 10 slices thick cut bacon, cooked well and diced

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lime, juiced

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

What to do:

1. Chop lettuce. I put the leaves on my cutting board and cut in various directions until it was my desired size. Do this with both the butter lettuce and spring mix greens.

2. Cut desired amount of tomato grapes in half.

3. Dice green bell pepper.

4. Cook and chop the bacon.  Be sure to drain the bacon of as much grease as possible.

 I place the cooked strips on paper towels and place another on top, 

patting until most of the grease is dried off.

5.  Dice avocado.

6. Combine the above ingredients in a large salad bowl and gently toss. 

Carefully add in corn and feta, reserving a little of both to sprinkle on top for garnish.

7. Now let's put the dressing together. Into a small bowl, add olive oil.

8. To the olive oil add lime juice of one lime. I cut the lime into quarters and then squeezed the juice into the olive oil. Now add pepper and garlic salt and stir.

9. Gradually add the dressing into the salad, tossing gently in the process.

This salad has a great combination of flavors! I loved the tangy light dressing and the sweet corn,

 as well as the salty bacon and crunchy fresh lettuce. 

 This has a flavor blast of contrasting flavors that is great.  

Next time I make this I might add some hard boiled eggs or thin shredded cheddar cheese.

With or without these extras this a really good meal! Hope you enjoy!

Be sure to eat this salad right away. It's not one you want to make ahead,

 it's best if eaten right away.

Frito Fiesta Salad

This salad is really easy to make.  It's got a great flavor and is just plain yummy!!!  I've taken it to

gatherings the last few times I've had something going on.  It disappears first thing and then the

requests for the recipe start coming.  I first had this at one of my daughters wedding showers.  Thanks Laurie for introducing this great salad to me.  I've tweaked the original recipe a bit.
 Hope you enjoy!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 package frozen sweet corn (thawed)

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can black beans (drained & rinsed - this is optional)

1/2 generous cup sour cream

1/2 generous cup mayonnaise

1 bag chili cheese Frito's

WHAT TO DO:

1. Put frozen sweet corn in salad bowl and let thaw.

2. Dice green and red bell peppers and add to thawed corn, mix well.

3. Add two cups shredded cheddar cheese and mix gently and well.

4. If desired add a can of black beans drained and rinsed.

5. Mix sour cream and mayonnaise well, then add to ingredients listed above, mixing carefully.

6. You can chill all of the above ingredients until ready to serve.

This can be done the day ahead and it will work well.

7. Just before serving, crumble up the Fritos into small bite size pieces.

I just leave them in the sealed bag and squeeze until the Fritos are broken into small pieces,

then add to the other chilled salad ingredients toss in until it is evenly mixed in.

8.  I hold out enough Frito pieces and shredded cheese to sprinkle over top of salad.

Now your ready to share with others and enjoy!  If your like me you'll be going back for seconds.

This salad is best right when you serve it.
It definitely is at its peak when the Fritos are still crunchy.

The crowning ingredient is the Fritos, it adds great flavor to this fresh crunchy salad.  Enjoy!

Cucumber Potato Salad

This is a really fresh, light version of potato salad. It has a twist I've never tried before and it's really great!  The cucumbers add crunch and the Greek yogurt add a little zing to it!  It was my daughter's birthday yesterday and she requested this salad.  It's twenty four hours later and it's all gone.  I guess the salad speaks for itself. I definitely will be making this again and again I found this recipe on sunset.com This the first recipe I've tried from their website but it looks like I'll be going back to explore other food ideas.  They have a bunch of good looking recipes.

 

What you need:

About 3 lbs. or approximately 12 red potatoes

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise made with olive oil

1/2 cup rough cut fresh dill

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 and 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and patted dry

1 English cucumber thinly sliced

 

What to do:

1. Bring large pan of water to boiling and cook potatoes(with skins on)

 until tender when poked with fork.This should take approximately 20 minutes of cooking time, check frequently for doneness. Then cool in ice water or refrigerator.

2. Whisk yogurt, mayo, red wine vinegar and fresh dill in small bowl and set aside

3. Cut potatoes into bite size pieces and place in large bowl.

4. Add onion and cucumber then add dressing mixture and stir gently to coat completely.

5. Chill in fridge for an hour or two before serving.

 

We really liked this version of potato salad.  It has a tangy, light flavor and is a simple

combination of ingredients that makes for a delicious salad.  I like the idea of using

the Greek yogurt to make a more healthy dressing. 

We had a crowd for the birthday celebration and everyone liked this one, I think you will too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken Salad Croissants

What you need:

2 cans premium chicken chunks - 12.5 ounce 

1 cup red grapes cut in half

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

6 to 8 chopped green onions

about 1/2 cup mayonnaise (a little more or less depending on how you like it)

about 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic salt

1 package small croissant rolls (20 count)

What to do:
1. Cut grapes, chop green onion and celery and set aside.
2. Open cans of chicken chunks, drain and shred chunks with forks into salad bowl
3. Add grapes, green onion and celery.
4. Gently fold in mayonnaise and sprinkle with garlic salt, stirring in gently.
5. Optional, can add almond slices or cashews, about 3/4 cup.
6. Now it's ready to add to croissants and enjoy.

This is an easy and delicious recipe.  It's another one of my family favorites.
 It seems like we have a bunch of those!  This is easy to throw together and feels like a special treat.
I like to buy my croissants at Costco or Sam's Club.  Their croissants are delicious and you get a
good quantity for the price.  I add the chicken salad to the croissants just before serving so they don't get soggy or I let people make their own so they can add their desired amount of chicken salad.
These are great for a group or gathering.  I think you'll enjoy!!!

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

What you need:

5 cups of broccoli pieces (small bite size without stems)

5 cups cauliflower pieces (small bite size without stems)

2/3 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup bacon bits

1/4 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds

1/3 cup craisins or white raisins

1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional, I didn't put it in the recipe shown in picture)

For dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup white sugar (you can use Splenda for low fat version)

What to do:

1. Wash Broccoli and Cauliflower and cut into small bite size pieces (without stems).

This is the most time consuming part of this recipe, but hang in there it's worth it in the end.

2. Dice red onion.

3. In large bowl combine; broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, bacon bits, sunflower seeds and craisins.

4. In separate container with air tight lid, combine Mayo, red wine vinegar and sugar.

These ingredients make the salad dressing.  When lid is securely on shake well so that all

ingredients mix well to a creamy consistency. 

This salad is one we've been making for years.  It is fresh, crispy and has a delicious

sweet flavor.  You'll probably want seconds, its that good.  Enjoy!

Green salad with Berries

What you need:

1 head romaine lettuce

1/2 small package spinach

1 cup washed and sliced strawberries

1/2 cup washed blackberries

1/2 cup washed raspberries

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3 tablespoons white sugar

Brianna's Poppy Seed dressing

What to do:

1. Cut or tear romaine lettuce into bite size pieces.

2. Pinch stems off of spinach and add to lettuce pieces in a large salad bowl.

3. Toss in berries but hold out enough to top the salad with them as shown in the picture above.

4. On medium heat, combine almonds and white sugar,
 heat until the sugar melts and coats the almond slices.

Stirring constantly as the sugar melts, about three minutes.

5.  After sugar melts, pour onto wax paper in a single layer and let cool.

6.  Keep in the fridge until you're ready to eat, then let each person top with dressing as desired.

I love it when the berries are in season and we can put this salad together.
 It's super easy to put together, colorful and fresh.

It makes any occasion feel special.   Another variation we do on this is using strawberry slices and kiwi (instead of the mixed berries).  We still use the Brianna's Poppy seed dressing.
 These salads are great for a crowd and goes with just about everything.

Classic Macaroni Salad

What you need:

1 package small shell macaroni, cooked, rinsed, and drained

1 cup diced celery

1 cup fresh grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato grapes cut in half (optional)

3/4 cup prepared mayonnaise

1 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

5 tablespoons sour cream

seasoned salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Cook macaroni according to directions on package, rinse and drain.

2. While macaroni is cooking dice celery, mince onion, and cut tomato grapes in half.

3. Grate cheese and set aside.

4. In separate bowl, for dressing, mix well; mayonnaise, dry mustard, sugar, 
cider vinegar and sour cream.

5. In large bowl combine macaroni, celery, onion, tomato and cheese.

6. Gently stir in dressing mix (hold out about 1/3 to add just before serving).

7. Mix in fresh minced parsley and hold a little out to sprinkle on top of macaroni salad.

8. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper to taste.

This is a really fresh and crunchy salad.  Great to have as a side dish with a bar-b-q.

It was easy to put together and has a nice mix of tangy and sweetness in the dressing.  The dressing is stronger immediately after mixing up and seems to mellow as the salad sits.

If it sits in the fridge for long before serving it soaks up some of the dressing that's why its good to save about 1/3 of the dressing to add just before serving.  I think this is one you would really enjoy.  I found the original recipe on the foodnetwork.com and then put my own twist on it by adding the grated cheddar cheese and tomato grapes cut in half.  This macaroni salad is light and good to eat.  Enjoy!!!

Chicken Cabbage Salad

What you need:

10 grilled boneless skinless chicken tenders
or one cooked rotisserie chicken 

1 1/2 bunches green onion 

1 32 ounce package coleslaw 

2 packages chicken flavored Top Ramen noodles

1 cup sliced almonds

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 seasoning packet from Top Ramen noodles

What to do:

1. Cut grilled or rotisserie chicken into bite size pieces

2. Chop green onion and set aside

3. Empty coleslaw mix into large bowl

4. Add chicken, green onion, and 3/4 cup sliced almonds   

   Set aside 1/4 cup sliced almonds to go on salad before serving.                                     

5. While inside of package, break top ramen noodles into small pieces.

    I usually whack the package on the counter a few times.  Be careful 

    though, sometimes the package gets a hole in it and the noodles leak out.

6. Set aside seasoning packet and cook noodles according to directions on package.

7. Rinse noodles with cold water, drain and add to coleslaw salad mix.

8. In air tight container mix red wine vinegar, sugar oil, and 1 Top Ramen seasoning packet.      

MIX WELL. This make a sweet and tangy dressing to pour in salad and toss, top with remaining 1/4 cup almond slices and serve. 

                                 

This salad is light and delicious.  It's so good you'll probably need a second helping!  I don't remember where I got this recipe.  I've been making it for so long that I just do it from memory.  Once I made this for my husband's family, they decided it needed to become part of the Thanksgiving day feast.  We have an early dinner and then after an evening of games and more games, we make this salad and use leftover turkey instead of grilled chicken.  It's always a hit and will serve a large group. Enjoy!

*** See the main dishes tab for details on marinade and 

directions on the grilled chicken we use in this salad.

Taco Ring with Salad Toppings

What you need:

1 lb hamburger

1 package taco seasoning

2 packages Pillsbury crescent rolls

Toppings:

Grated cheddar cheese

Lettuce(chopped)

Tomato diced

Green onion diced

Avocado slices

Other toppings that would be good are black beans and bell peppers

What to do:
1. Brown hamburger, add taco seasoning according to directions
    on the package.

2 .Get round pizza pan and place crescent roll dough in a circle.
    It will look like a big sun on your pizza pan.

3. Place heaping tablespoon of hamburger mixture on each piece

    of crescent roll.  

Then wrap dough across hamburger and pinch
    dough together on inside of ring.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.
 Now it's ready to add toppings and enjoy, it'll look something like what's shown at the top of this recipe page.  This is something I learned how to make a long time ago at a Pampered Chef party.  It's easy, quick, a little different and good to eat.  Here are some pictures showing the steps required to put the taco ring together.  
This is a fun and different twist on tacos that I'm sure you will enjoy . . .
This is easy and delicious!

*You can make this in smaller proportions by using only 1 Pillsbury crescent roll package, 
1/2 lb hamburger, and 1/2 package of taco seasoning. 
 Each crescent roll package makes 8 servings.

Chicken Bow Tie Pasta Salad

 What you need:

2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 package bow tie pasta

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 zucchini finely chopped

1 tomato finely chopped

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 cup shredded mozzarella

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

What to do:

Cook pasta, drain, and set aside

Blanch red pepper and green onion

Stir in zucchini and tomatoes 

Add chicken, almonds, and mozzarella

Mix olive oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce

Sprinkle and toss with garlic powder, chill, and enjoy

This salad looked better than it tasted.  I really liked all of the ingredients together in this salad, they were a good combination.  The disappointment came in how little flavor was in the dressing.

 If you like subtle flavoring in the dressing you'll like this because it was kind of bland in that department.  Next time I will probably add an asian bottled dressing with more flavor.