Layered Salad

This fabulous layered salad is the perfect side dish...and it tastes even better if made the night before, so you can get it checked off your busy list prior to your actual meal preparation. Seriously, I love, love, love this!

Layered Salad

Cindy Humphreys

Fill a 9X13 pan half full of shredded iceberg and red lettuce. Layer the following ingredients on top:

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 (10 oz) pkg petite peas (thawed)

1/2 lb cooked and crumbled bacon

Spread on top:

1 pint (2 cups) mayonnaise mixed with 2 Tbsp sugar (Can also use a little milk to thin, about 2 tsp)

Sprinkle 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Chicken Pasta Salad

Light, refreshing...perfect as a side dish or as your whole meal on one of these last (sniff, sniff) hot summer nights...Especially good with yummy rolls. Note: This makes A LOT of salad...I usually half the recipe for my family and it is still oodles...

Chicken Pasta Salad

Bunni Miller

-2 packages (12 oz) corkscrew colored pasta or rainbow twirls, cooked according to package directions.

-1 envelope Ranch dressing mix, made according to package directions. (Include the 30 minute stand time to allow to thicken.)

-4 cooked chicken breasts, cut up

-1 small can (2 1/4 oz) sliced black olives

-10 oz green peas, left frozen

-2 medium tomatoes, diced

Mix together all above ingredients. Add salt and pepper and lots of garlic salt to taste.

*Best if made the day before or at least several hours before eating.* (I am almost never that on top of it...It is fine served immediately too...)

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

The hubs doesn't know how this can be counted as a salad because it's so amazing (and apparently men can't think salads are yummy??) It tastes light and refreshing and has already made its way into our kitchen multiple times this summer. This sweet and mildly spicy dish is perfect for a hot day!

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

Kate Jones and Sara Wells

Chicken:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (thighs work better in this recipe than breasts); about 2 lbs.

2 tsp vegetable oil

Glaze

1/2 cup honey

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Rub

2 tsp granulated garlic (I had a hard time finding this...the best substitute I have found is 1 tsp garlic powder)

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Salad (yields 4 large salads or 6 small ones)

1-2 heads romaine or red leaf lettuce

2 ripe mangoes, chilled

2-3 ripe avocados

1 small red onion, sliced (or diced)

1 recipe Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat or about 400 degrees.

2. Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl

3. Trim any visible fat from the thighs, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub it in with your hands. Rub the spice rub into the chicken. Grill for 3-5 minutes each side.

4. For the glaze: While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Whisk in vinegar. Reserve 2 Tbsp glaze and brush the rest on the chicken in the final moments of cooking. Remove chicken from the grill and allow to stand 3-5 minutes. Drizzle reserved 2 Tbsp of glaze over chicken while it's standing.

5. For salad: While chicken is grilling, wash lettuce and divide among plates. Slice mangoes, avocados and onions and arrange on top of lettuce. When chicken has rested for 5 minutes after cooking, slice and divide among the salad plates. Serve immediately with Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette.

Honey Citrus Vinaigrette:

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tsp grated onion

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp honey

3/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Combine ingredients together in a jar and shake until well combined. Shake well before serving.

Acini De Pepe Fruit Salad

Sometimes referred to as "Frog Eye Salad," this fruit and cream combination is one of my favorite childhood dishes...Who knew pasta could be so sweet?

Acini De Pepe Fruit Salad

Dressing:

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup pineapple juice (use juice drained from cans that will be added later)

2 eggs, beaten

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in pineapple juice. Add eggs. Cook over medium heat and stir until thick. Add lemon juice and cool.

Next: Boil 3 quarts water to which salt and 3 Tbsp oil has been added. Add one package Acini De Pepe (found in the pasta aisle...) and boil until tender (10 minutes.) Drain and rinse in cold water. Combine acini and dressing and refrigerate overnight.

Two hours before serving, add to acini mixture:

1 tub Cool Whip (12 oz)

2 cans pineapple tidbits or chunks (20 oz, drained)

2 cans crushed pineapple (20 oz, drained)

2 cups miniature marshmallows

3 cans mandarin oranges (11 oz, added last)

Broccoli Craisin Salad

A little something different...Fun to take to gatherings...Super easy and Yum, Yum, Yummy!

Broccoli Craisin Salad

Bridget Morley

6 cups broccoli (fresh)

1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

1 cup sunflower seeds (kernals)

1 lb. bacon

Dressing:

2 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

Cut broccoli. Cook bacon and crumble. Mix dressing. Toss salad and dressing just before serving. Note: Makes a ton! I usually half it.

Chicken Salad

Refreshing for summer, this creamy chicken salad is delicious served with yummy rolls.

Chicken Salad

8 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 cups seedless red grapes, cut in half

2 cups cashews

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp white or white wine vinegar

Pour over dressing and refrigerate. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Note: I half the recipe for my family. It is huge! (And not very good left-over....since the cashews get soft...)

Easy Spinach Salad

I always try to have the ingredients for this on-hand. Super easy, delicious and looks like you put time and effort into something fancy...A great addition to any meal.

Spinach Salad

1 bag pre-packaged spinach leaves

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 mango, peeled and chopped

1/2-1 cup candied nuts (I like brown sugar pecans found in the baking aisle)

1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese

1/2 lb. bacon, optional

1/2-3/4 bottle of Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

Add ingredients in given order. Toss and enjoy! Note: Other variations such as apples, mandarin oranges, pears, sweetened slivered almonds or walnuts are delicious combinations too!

Cafe Rio Salad

I know there are a lot of variations on this recipe out there, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. Even though it requires a lot of ingredients, it really is pretty easy to make. If you have leftover meat, you can use the same ingredients and make burritos that are fantastic as well. Yummy! We just had this, but I forgot to snap a picture...if you have been to Cafe Rio or Costa Vida, just picture their yummy salads. :-)

(Recipe courtesy Nicole Steiner)

Cafe Rio Pork
Place 3 lbs pork roast in crock pot with 1 1/2 cans of Coca-Cola Classic mixed with 1 cup of brown sugar. Cook on high. Heat overnight or for about 8 hours until tender. Shred with two forks. Season with 1 tsp. garlic salt, 1/4 c. barbecue sauce, and 3/4 cup ketchup.
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Creamy Cilantro Salad Dressing
3 fresh tomatillos cut into quarters
1 pkg Ranch Buttermilk dressing mix
1 cup mayonnaise*
1/3-1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and refrigerate at least one hour. (*For a thicker dressing, reduce mayonnaise to 1/3 cup and add 1/2 cup sour cream to the mixture.)

Note: dressing is best if used in the first few days after making it.
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Other ingredients (in order of how to assemble it.) You can leave out anything you may not like (or have on hand.)

8 flour tortillas
2 cups cooked Spanish rice
2 cups cooked black or pinto beans
Shredded pork
2 heads Romaine lettuce (or you can buy 2 bags of Sweet Baby Greens)
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Lime Wedges
Corn tortilla strips
Creamy tomatillo dressing

Chicken Chinese Salad

So, just factoring the cost of groceries, it is super nice to be able to buy one item and use it in 2 recipes. My sister and I do this when it comes to buying cabbage. Let me demonstrate. We use half of the cabbage in the Chicken Chinese Salad recipe, and then use the other half in this recipe. The best part is, that they are 2 totally different tastes.

Chicken Chinese Salad

2 chicken breasts - cooked and diced
1/2 head of cabbage - chopped
1 pkg. Top Ramon

Dressing:
1/4 c. salad oil
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 seasoning packet from Top Ramon

Crush Top Ramon noodles and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 until lightly browned (approx. 10 min.) Cool.

Combine chopped cabbage, cooked, diced chicken, and cooled noodles.

Mix thoroughly or shake together ingredients for dressing. Pour over cabbage, chicken, noodle mixture and toss.

Side notes:
*Easy to double if needed.
*I cut up all the cabbage in one day and save half for the other recipe, so I don't have to chop it twice.
*My husband's favorite thing is the crunchy Ramon noodles. I do an extra package of the noodles and put them in a bowl so we can add them to our liking at the dinner table.
*Other bonus: my kids LOVE it!