Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a wonderful Spring or Summer salad! It's delicious! I love all of the ingredients and together they make a great salad. I would love to use blue cheese in the place of the feta, but my kids would revolt. So I make it with feta for now. I let the pickier eaters pick out the red onion also. Let's just say this is not their favorite salad, but I love it! I like to take this salad when I'm taking dinner to someone. It's pretty!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 bag baby spinach
1 bag spring mix lettuces
16 oz strawberries, sliced
4 oz feta or blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
salt and pepper
bottled raspberry or red wine vinaigrette, or poppy seed dressing

Toss together the spinach and spring mix. Add onion and strawberries and toss a little. Top with crumbled cheese and almonds. Sprinkle with a little fresh ground pepper and salt. Serve with salad dressing of choice.

Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Candied Pecans, and Honey Vinaigrette

This is a simple and delicious salad. I love the combination of the pears, pecans, and feta. I made this salad for our Christmas Eve dinner. The vinaigrette is also a great sweet and sour dressing that would go well with any mixed greens salad. I got this recipe from The I Heart Naptime Cookbook - which is a fantastic cookbook.

Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Candied Pecans, and Honey Vinaigrette

1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups spring mix (about 1 reg size prewashed bag)
4 cups baby spinach (about 1 reg size prewashed bag)
1 large pear, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 cup dried cranberries and blueberries (or just 1/3 cup dried cranberries)
3-4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

In a non-stick skillet combine the pecans and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and coated the pecans. You want to cook it on medium low and make sure you remove from heat before the sugar burns.

In a mason jar with a tight lid combine oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Screw on the lid tightly and shake until all ingredients are fully combined.

In a large bowl mix together the salad greens. Pour dressing over and toss. Add pears and toss gently. Top with cranberries/blueberries and feta. Serve.

Chicken Salad for a Crowd

I recently helped out with the food at my good friend's daughter's wedding. They had this chicken salad on croissants and I made two big batches of it. It was so yummy! It's a very simple chicken salad, but that's what makes it so good. You could add in some halved grapes or Craisins for a little sweetness, but just like this it is delicious. Thanks Kimberly for a great recipe!!

Chicken Salad for a Crowd

5 lbs chicken breasts, cooked* and chopped
4 cups diced celery
2 cups chopped green onions
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups mayonnaise (or more)
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine chopped chicken with celery, green onions, and almonds. Add enough mayonnaise to moistened but not make too mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used probably 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon of salt). Serve in croissants or prepared puff pastries.

*To Cook Chicken Breasts:
Place chicken breasts in a 5 quart crockpot and add about 1 cup chicken broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken, cool, and then chop/dice the chicken.

Asian Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a great pasta salad anytime but I especially love taking it to potlucks because it has flavors most people enjoy - chicken, pasta, and sesame dressing. I recently took it to a Relief Society lunch activity. If I was serving this salad for dinner I would make these orange rolls to go with it and it would be a yummy meal.

Asian Chicken Pasta Salad

Salad:
16 oz bow tie pasta
4 cups cooked and cubed grilled chicken
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 bag baby spinach (I used a baby greens blend)
1/4 lb or 4 oz snow peas, stems removed and cut in half
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (I might add 2 cans next time)

Dressing:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (toast in a dry skillet until slightly browned)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook bow tie pasta according to package directions. Drain. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and allow to dry slightly in colander while you prepare other salad ingredients.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine soy sauce, vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, sugar, and pepper. Place lid on jar and shake very well to combine.

In a large bowl combine drained and rinsed pasta, chicken, sliced green onions, almonds, spinach, and snow peas. Add dressing and toss to combine. Add drained mandarin oranges and stir in gently. Serve immediately.

Sally's Italian Pasta Salad

This is now one of my favorite pasta salads. It has a great combination of ingredients that go so well together. I love the avocado and artichoke hearts! I got the recipe from my friend Sally and I'm so glad she shared it with me. Thanks! You can use a different kind of dressing if you can't find the Ken's, just look for Romano cheese in the ingredients. I served this salad as a side to parmesan chicken tenders and cantaloupe, but you could throw some grilled chicken strips into it and serve it as an entree salad.

Sally's Italian Pasta Salad

1 lb bowtie pasta
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 small can sliced olives, drained
1 avocado, diced
10 oz grape tomatoes, halved (or cherry tomatoes)
1 regular size bag baby spinach
4 oz crumbled Feta cheese
Ken's Light Northern Italian Salad Dressing

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled. Allow to sit and drain in colander while you prepare other ingredients.

In a large bowl combine artichoke hearts, olives, avocado, grape tomatoes, spinach, Feta, and drained pasta. Pour in about 3/4 of the bottle of salad dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Last night I got to go to a Relief Society recipe swap. Oh, how I love recipe swaps! What is better than getting together with a bunch of ladies, chatting, exchanging recipes, and eating yummy food?! It was awesome in every way. Anywho, the theme was summer recipes so I took this easy to make dinner salad and it was also what my family had for dinner with some homemade French bread and corn on the cob. I love the combination of flavors in this salad. It is much like the spinach salad that I make with chicken and pasta added to make it more hearty. Hope you'll like it too.

Chicken Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

12 oz bowtie pasta
2-3 cup cooked and cubed chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/2 cup chopped cashews
5 oz package Craisins dried cranberries
3-4 oz baby spinach (about half a bag)
12 oz bottle Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

Cook pasta, in boiling salted water, according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Allow pasta to sit the colander while you prepare the other ingredients so it drys a little.

In a large bowl combine: chicken, green onion, bacon, cashews, Craisins, and spinach. Add drained pasta and toss. Add poppy seed dressing to taste, I usually add about 3/4 of the bottle, and toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

PW Aunt Trish's Salad Dressing

This is Pioneer Woman's Aunt Trish's Salad Dressing. It is good. Really, I have yet to try a bad Pioneer Woman recipe. Ree is amazing. The dressing is kinda like Olive Garden's salad dressing, but a bit more tangy/lemony. It was a great dressing for a simple salad of mixed baby greens, sliced red onion, and grape tomatoes. I served it with spaghetti and meatballs tonight and though my kids would definitely prefer ranch dressing, they all ate it and I think my oldest even liked it. We're still working on my other 2 to like something other than ranch. Oh, and keep in mind, you have to start this dressing the day before you want to serve it.

PW Aunt Trish's Salad Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil or canola oil
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, peeled and left whole

Place all ingredients in a jar. Shake it up and store in the fridge at least 24 hours before serving. Serve on your favorite green salad.

Frog Eye Salad

I actually call this Pineapple & Marshmallow Salad so my youngest two will eat it, but it is more widely known as Frog Eye Salad. A rose (pasta salad) by any other name in this case does not smell (taste) as sweet.:) Honestly, I can't believe I haven't made this salad in the last few years. I love it! It is sweet and fruity and I love the texture - I'm a huge tapioca pudding fan too. It makes tons so I usually only take it to church activities or barbecues, but I wanted a picnicy/summery sort of dinner tonight so I made it. And of course we have tons of leftovers so I'll be having it for lunch for a while. :) Oh, make sure you get this started the night before. It needs 8 hours to sit before adding the final ingredients.

Frog Eye Salad

2 cups or 16 oz package acini di pepe pasta
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 3/4 cups pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz container Cool Whip, thawed
14 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
4-5 cups multi-colored mini marshmallows
2, 11 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained

Prep the Night Before:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, pineapple juice, sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring/whisking constantly until thickened.

Drain pasta a put in a large bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and stir until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.

Day of Serving:
Fold Cool Whip into the pasta loosening and mixing the chilled pasta mixture (I use my hands to bread up all the pasta - it's messy, but fast). Fold in pineapple tidbits, crushed pineapple, marshmallows and mandarin oranges. Cover and chill until serving.

Spaghetti Pasta Salad

This salad tastes something like a simplified version of my Manly Pasta Salad. It can be made in one day so it's perfect for a weeknight side dish. It's a cheap and cheerful pasta salad that is sure to please almost everyone.


Spaghetti Pasta Salad

16 oz spaghetti, snapped into 2-3 inch pieces, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 oz jar pimentoes
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced or chopped black olives
4 oz medium cheddar, cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup mayonnaise

Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled. Allow to sit out to dry for a bit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Toss pasta and all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Spinach Mandarin Salad

Yummy!! I really like this salad. It has a great combination of flavors. The recipe is from the Best Bites cookbook. I used a bag of spinach and spring greens mix, 1 head of romaine lettuce, and Brianna's Home Style Poppy Seed Dressing (from the store). You could also use the poppy seed dressing that I use on my Spinach Salad.

Spinach Mandarin Salad

8 oz baby spinach (half a bag)
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 small red onion, sliced very thin
1 large avocado, cubed
1-2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1, 11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
poppy seed dressing

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add desired amount of dressing and toss. Serve immediately.

LaNell's Broccoli Salad

Now, do I know who LaNell is? No. But I can tell you that her broccoli salad is delicious!! I got this recipe from the Sugar Doodle website. We had this salad tonight with grilled chicken and strawberries and it was wonderful. I have a feeling I'll be making this a lot this summer because my husband and I couldn't get enough of it.

LaNell's Broccoli Salad

4-6 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

In a bowl combine broccoli, onion, sunflower seeds, raisins, and bacon. In a separate bowl combine ingredients for dressing and mix well to mix in sugar. Pour desired amount of dressing over the broccoli mixture (I didn't use all of the dressing) and toss well to combine. Serve right away.*

*Make this salad right before serving - if it's left to sit it will get soggy.

Pineapple Coleslaw

This was a super yummy side to pulled pork sandwiches. It was so easy to throw together too. My family all loved the sweetness the pineapple gave the coleslaw. I got the recipe from Real Mom Kitchen.


Pineapple Coleslaw

16 oz bag coleslaw mix
1, 20, oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup mayonnaiseabout 1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper

In a large bowl combine coleslaw mix, crushed pineapple and celery seed. Add mayonnaise and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Good old strawberry pretzel salad. Isn't it wonderful?! Oh how I love the salty pretzel crust with the creamy filling and sweet topping. SO good. I think I'll be making this a lot more since my kids absolutely loved it. I know it's name says "salad", but really this is more of a dessert.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 cups finely crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup thawed Cool Whip
2 cups boiling water
2, 3 oz packages strawberry Jello
1 cup cold water
1 lb strawberries, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Mix pretzel crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and milk until well blended. Gently stir in the Cool Whip. Spread over crust. Refrigerate until strawberry topping is ready.

Meanwhile, stir boiling water into dry Jello powder in a large bowl for at least 2 minutes, until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until thickened slightly. Stir in strawberries. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm. Cut into squares to serve. Store leftovers in fridge.

Red Potato Salad

I'm reposting my red potato salad recipe because I finally measured out all the ingredients for reals and also got a much better picture of it. I love this potato salad and have been making it for about 10 years. It's tried and true!

Red Potato Salad

3 lbs red potatoes, washed and chopped in large chunks
2 eggs, boil and diced
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dill pickle relish
3 tablespoon sliced green onions (or finely chopped onion)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile while potatoes are boiling, in a bowl combine: sour cream, mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, green onions, mustard, dried tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Put hot, drained potatoes into a large bowl, add chopped eggs and pour dressing over. Gently fold the dressing into the potatoes and eggs with a spatula. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bowtie Pasta Salad

The flavors of this pasta salad go so well together! My husband and daughter especially loved it and probably had thirds or fourths the other night when we had it with grilled chicken. It was even great 2 days later for lunch. Delicious!

Bowtie Pasta Salad

2 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
2 cups diced ham
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups small cubed sharp cheddar cheese (8oz block, cubed)

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling , salted water according to package directions. Drain. Rinse until cooled and then allow to sit and dry a bit.

In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, sugar, pepper, dill, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine prepared pasta, grapes, ham, green onions, and cheese. Toss with the dressing. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours.

Paula's Macaroni Salad

I got this one from Paula Deen's show. It is a great macaroni salad with all the classic flavors that a macaroni salad should have. It went great with our grilled hot dogs the other night.

Paula's Macaroni Salad

2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup celery, diced small
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
1 small jar pimentos, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Combine ingredients and mix together. Chill until serving.

Broccoli Salad

The other night we had Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches (I LOVE that dinner) and to go along with it I decided to make this salad. The recipe if from The Neeleys on the Food Network and it's really good.

Broccoli Salad

6 slices bacon, cooked crisply and chopped up
2-3 heads of broccoli or 8 cups
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
salt and pepper

Cut broccoli into florets. Blanch broccoli in boiling salted water until barely tender (about a minute). Shock them in a bowl of ice water (helps them keep their nice green color). Drain and set aside.

Combine mayo, sour cream, and celery seed. In a bowl combine broccoli, onion, and shredded cheese. Add mayo mixture and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Father's Day Pasta Salad (aka Manly Pasta Salad)

I've been making this pasta salad for my husband on Father's day for quite a few years now and he loves it. Actually we all love it! It has such great flavors. This recipe is the half recipe so you can double it if you are making it for a crowd.

Father's Day Pasta Salad (aka Manly Pasta Salad)

8 oz ditaliti pasta, half a 1 lb box (if you can't find it small shells work too)
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup red onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup yellow or white onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup medium cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup good qualitly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup dill pickles, diced
1/2 cup hard salami, diced
1/2 cup large pitted black olives, chopped up a bit
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to your desired spiciness)
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 tablespoons creamy horseradish sauce
2 oz diced pimentos (half a 4 oz jar), drained and rinsed
about 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Best Foods Mayo made with Canola oil)

The Night Before:
Boil pasta until al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Do not overcook the pasta or it will fall apart when the salad is tossed together. Rinse pasta until cool. Drain well and let it dry out slightly.

Add pasta to a large bowl. Carefully fold in celery, red onion, yellow or white onion, cheeses, dill pickles, salami, and black olives. Refrigerate the mixture, uncovered, overnight (or refrigerate at least 2 hours if making the same day).

The Day Of:
Mix together in a small bowl: garlic salt, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and celery salt. Sprinkle this spice mixture over the chilled pasta mixture. Fold the spices in till it is mixed all the way through. Fold in the pimentos, minced garlic, and horseradish sauce. Fold in 3/4 cup of mayo to start, add more as needed. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes to 1 hour and its ready to go.

Ashlee's Corn Salad

This recipe is another recreation of a salad I had at my friend Ashlee's house - it was so yummy that I had to try to make it. It turned out great and my hubby and I loved it (the kids were another story, but hey they don't like a whole lot of salads so don't judge it by them). Thanks Ashlee!! Oh, BTW we had it for dinner with Crockpot Pork Chops (but I didn't add the green beans to the sauce this time).

Ashlee's Corn Salad

romaine lettuce (I used a bag of precut romaine hearts)
1 large or 2 small roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can white sweet corn, drained (I used a can of "super sweet" white and yellow corn)
3-4 green onions, sliced
1 - 1 1/2 cups peanuts, coarsley chopped
1 package ramen noodles (I didn't have this so I used some chow mein noodles)

Put lettuce, tomatoes, corn, green onions and peanuts in a large bowl. Break up ramen noodles and toast on a cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Add toasted noodles to salad. Toss with about half of the dressing mixture (recipe below) and then add more dressing as needed.

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
few dashes of Monterey Steak Seasoning
ground black pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients in a tightly lidded jar; shake till well mixed.

Russian Cucumber Salad

This is a salad I recreated from a dish my friend, Christine, served when she hosted book club at her house a couple weeks ago (we read the book A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich). I love simple refreshing salads like this. This is a great side dish for any dinner, but I made it to go with pelmeni and black bread which are both yummy Russian dishes.

Russian Cucumber Salad

2 large roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers or 1 large English cucumber, peeled and sliced or chopped
4-5 green onions, sliced thin
about 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (or freeze dried dill which I found in the produce section of my grocery store)
salt
pepper

Put prepared tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions in a large bowl; chill while you make the dressing. Combine oil, vinegar, and dill. Pour about half of the dressing over the vegetables, toss to coat well. Add additional dressing if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.