Tortellini Artichoke Salad

I have a thing for the word TORTELLINI. 

Whenever I say it I just have to say it in my best Italian accent (which is horrendous I do have to say).

But no matter how bad my Italian accent is, and how un-authentic (probably not a real word) this dish is to Italy, it is delicious.

And perfect for summer.

Tortellini Artichoke Salad

Recipe from Taste of Home

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2 1/2 cups frozen cheese tortellini (2 bags is perfect)

2 large tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 jars (6-1/2 ounces, each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup creamy Italian salad dressing

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Drain and rinse in cold water.  Place in a medium bowl.

Add the tomatoes, onions, artichokes and salad dressing.  Toss to coat.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Pomegranate Salad

I'm fighting some shoulder tension/pain right now and so I'm going to keep this one short & sweet!  (you're welcome:))

This is good...real GOOD.  It's so pretty and colorful and perfect for the holiday!  Don't let the raisins in it fool you, they are delicious in this (and I'm NOT a raisin lover!).  If you can't stand the idea of raisins you could substitute green grapes and just half them.  Enjoy!

Pomegranate Salad

Recipe from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

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4 to 5 Large Granny Smith Apples, or other TART CRISP apple variety (leave skins on, and slice in small chunks)

2 to 3 large pomegranates, with berries removed

1 to 1 1/2 cups GOLDEN Raisins

1 cup Sliced Almonds

1 Cup of Whipped Heavy Cream Whipped stiff & flavored with Vanilla and Powdered Sugar to taste.

Mix apples, berries, raisins & almonds together in large size bowl. Whip the cream until firm peaks form – add sugar & vanilla to taste. Mix whipped cream into fruit mixture. Serve immediately, or cover & keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Easy Peasy!:)

BLT Macaroni Salad

This would be a perfect side dish with any grillin' you might be doing for Father's Day!  (we had it with The Perfect Burger...SUPERB!!)  Anyway, this salad is really good...the hubby and kids loved it as well, which is saying a lot since Tony (the hubby) doesn't usually like pasta salads!  I think the bacon does it.  Anything with bacon in it gets a man's approval right??!:)

BLT Macaroni Salad

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

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2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

3-4 green onions, finely chopped

1 large tomato, diced

1 1/4 cups diced celery

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

5 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 jar (2.8 oz) Hormel Real Bacon Pieces

Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  Drain and rinse pasta in cold water until noodles are cooled.  Combine the macaroni, green onions, tomato and celery in a large bowl.  Combine the mayo, vinegar, salt & pepper in a small bowl.  Pour the mayo mixture over the macaroni mixture and stir to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  (It's better when it's sat over night!)  Just before serving stir in the majority of the bacon, reserve a few pieces to sprinkle on the top of the salad when serving! 

Enjoy!!

Seven-Fruit Salad

This is probably the most colorful salad ever.  It has an awesome taste of fruits that hit the mouth with a boom... that is what makes this salad wonderful!

-Kyla

Seven-Fruit Salad

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1\2 cup lime juice

1\2 cup water

1\2 cup sugar

2 medium nectarines, thinly sliced

1 large firm banana, thinly sliced

1 pint blueberries

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

2 cups watermelon balls

1 cup green grapes

2 kiwi, peeled and chopped

In a bowl combine the lime juice, water, and sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved.  Add nectarines and banana; stir gently to coat.  In a different bowl combine the remaining fruits.  Add the nectarine mixer; stir gently to combine.  Cover and refrigerate the salad for 1 hour.  Serve with a slotted spoon.

Show-off Salad

The weather is soooo beautiful today!!  I absolutely LOVE spring time!!

This recipe is great for days like this!  It's a make ahead recipe, so you can just pull it out of the fridge when it's time to eat & you're good to go!  It can be used as a main dish or a side either way.  If you serve it as your main dish, just make some nice Pan Rolls or this Bacon Swiss bread to go with it & you're set!

Show-off Salad

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2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 cups shredded lettuce

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium cucumber, peeled, and diced

4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 small red onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 cup diced fully cooked ham, optional

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 cup miracle whip

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cool water.  Transfer to a bowl.  Drizzle the noodles with the oil and toss to coat.

Place the lettuce evenly across the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  Top with green peppers, cucumber, macaroni, eggs, cabbage, red onion, carrots, ham, peas & cheese.

In a small bowl combine the miracle whip, sour cream, green onions, mustard, sugar, and salt & pepper.  Spread over the top of the salad.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving you can sprinkle some more green onions or freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the top.

Lovely & delicious! Enjoy!

Fiesta Pasta Salad

I told you I love salads this time of year!!:)  This is one of my favorites and I was surprised when I realized that I hadn't blogged about it yet!!  Well, I'm here to fix that!

Fiesta Pasta Salad

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2 boneless, skinless chicken breats

1 box (12 oz.) bow tie pasta

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can black olives, drained and sliced

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or regular tomates diced)

4 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)

1/2 green pepper, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/3 cup ranch dressing

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and fry in a skillet in a little oil until browned and completely cooked.  Set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain (you do not need to rinse).  Put pasta in a large bowl.  Prepare all the vegetables and add to the pasta.  Then add the black beans, corn, olives, and chicken and then stir to mix. 

Make dressing by mixing oil, vinegar and taco seasoning together.  Whisk until combined and then add the ranch dressing and mix again.  Pour over the pasta mixture and stir until combined.  Let cool in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before eating (I always have to take a few bites before I put it in the frige...just can't help myself!). 

This is one of those salads that's even better the next day when it's had lots of time for all those flavors to combine and soak in to the pasta, veggies and chicken! 

I like to serve this as a main dish with some breadsticks to go with it and possibly a fruit (like grapes).  Perfect spring meal!! 

This is also a really good side dish!  You can serve it as a side as is, but if you have a meat main dish you could also just leave the chicken out of it and serve it as a side to your meat dish.  I've had it many times without the chicken and it's still delicious!!

Honestly, you're gonna love this one!

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

I always serve this with dinner as a Jello salad, but it can also be a dessert on it's own!  It is especially delicious (as Nacho would say!!:))!!  I must hear that line or some other one from Nacho from my hubby or kids no less than 30 times a day!!  And whenever I try I always get made fun of because I have a terrible accent!  Anyway, that has nothing to do with this recipe...I just got carried away!:)  Just trust me...YUM!

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

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1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels

1/2 cup sugar

1 cube butter, melted

1 cube cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) cool whip

1 large box (6 oz.) Raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 bag unsweetened frozen raspberries

Pretzel Crust:

Mix and press the pretzels, 1/2 cup sugar, and melted butter into the bottom of a 9X13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Let cool

Cream Center:

Blend together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar.  Add and mix in the cool whip.  Spread over the cooled pretzel crust and then refrigerate until cooled.

Jello top:

Dissolve the Jello in the boiling water.  Add the raspberries and stir.  Pour over the cream center and refrigerate until set.  Usually 4-6 hours. 

Enjoy a yummy side or a yummy dessert!!:)

Dream-sickle Jello

Here's another salad for you, this time a Jello salad! Jello salads are right up there with pasta salads for me. I just really like them! This one also just yells spring to me. It is so yummy and really does taste like a dream-sickle in jello form!

Dream-sickle Jello

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2 small packages cook and serve lemon pudding

1 large package orange jello

Cool Whip

Cook pudding according to directions. Dissolve Jello according to directions. Stir pudding and Jello together while they are both still hot. When mixed thouroughly, pour into 9x13 inch pan. Let set. Overnight is best, but at least 6-8 hours. Top with Cool Whip.

So easy and so yummy!! My kiddo's absolutely LoVe this one too!

I've now tried this in raspberry instead of orange as well.  Keep all the ingredients the same except change out the orange jell-o for raspberry.  It was REALLY REALLY good!!  Don't know which I like better.  I've got strawberry on my list of next flavor to try!

Country Pasta Salad

I've been posting so many sweet recipes lately I figured it was time for something a little healthier!! This time of year I just love eating salads! I especially love pasta salads! This recipe is one that we used to eat growing up that I've always enjoyed. It's perfect for those spring days!

Country Pasta Salad

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1 box (16oz) pasta (any kind, I used the tri color rotini)

1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 can (about 12 oz.) chicken or tuna (you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked at chopped instead if wanted)

1 cup matchstick carrot

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or regular ones chopped)

1/2-1 cup cucumber slices

1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed

(You can really use any vegetables that you like. I just put the carrots and tomatoes in mine this time, but I like it with the cucumbers and peas as well! I don't put in the celery because my family doesn't like it.)

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, mix Miracle Whip and dill together in a large mixing bowl. When pasta is done drain and add to Miracle Whip and dill. Mix together well. Add rest of the

ingredients. Mix well and chill.

Mandarin Orange Chicken Pasta Salad

I absolutely LOVE this pasta salad. It is so colorful and flavorful and perfect for these dreary winter months. It adds a little life to these cold, dark days!:)

Mandarin Orange Chicken Pasta Salad

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The ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

8 oz. bowtie pasta (whole wheat is really good in this!)

1 cucumber, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 small red onion or 1/2 large onion, chopped

1 package baby spinach

1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Dressing:

1 teaspoon fresh ginger OR 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup orange juice

1/3 cup rice or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon seasame oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1 envelope onion soup mix

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook in a little bit of olive oil until browned. Let cool.

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta. While the pasta is cooking start chopping all the veggies.

The cucumber (this is Kyla cutting...I would never be caught dead with fingernail polish like that!! But young girls just don't seem to care:)) Put cut cucumbers in a large bowl.

Next chop the onion and add to bowl.

Then chop the red bell pepper and (again) add to bowl. (Isn't that beautiful?!!)

Then open the oranges and drain them and add to the bowl as well. (It just keeps getting prettier and prettier!)

Now you can add the almonds if you like, we didn't not becuase we don't like them but because I thought I had some and found out they were slivered and not sliced almonds and so we left them out (although slivered probably would have been just fine!)

When pasta is done cooking drain and rinse in a colander under cold water until pasta is cooled. Add pasta and cooled chicken to the bowl and stir to combine.

Let this sit while you make the dressing. Combine all ingredients and whisk together.

Right before serving add the spinach to the pasta and veggies and then pour the dressing overtop and mix together well.

This makes quite a bit of salad and if you let the spinach sit in the fridge with the dressing on it, the spinach will wilt and it doesn't look very appetizing. So what I do is split it in half. I will add the dressing to the half I am saving, but leave out the spinach and then the next day when I want some I'll add the spinach at that time. Works out really well, also it allows the dressing to mesh with all the other flavors and makes it really yummy!!

Also, I was concerned that none of my kids would eat this (it's got SPINACH in it...YUCK!!) But I was pleasantly surprised...only my 3 year old Rhett said it was gross, and Kyla and my 7 year old Eli had second helpings! Yeah...they like something healthy!!:)

Hope you enjoy this one!!

PW's Potato Salad

I absolutely LOVE this potato salad recipe. It was the most perfect potato salad...and perfect for this time of year! I changed a few things to my families liking and it turned out perfect!

PW's Potato Salad

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
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Ingredients

5 pounds Russet Potatoes (about 8 Medium Russets)

1-½ cup Real Mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip...I used Miracle Whip because my family likes it...PW does NOT!:))

4 Tablespoons Prepared Mustard (regular, Dijon Or A Mixture Of Both)...I used a mixture.

5 whole Green Onions (sliced Up To The Darkest Green Part)

8 whole Small Sweet Pickles (may Use Dill If That's More Up Your Alley)I used Dill.

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (more To Taste)

½ teaspoons Paprika

½ teaspoons Black Pepper

4 whole Hard Boiled Eggs

Preparation Instructions

Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. Drain. Mash potatoes or run them through a ricer or food mill to make them extra fluffy. (I just cut my potatoes into bite size pieces and boiled them for about 20 minutes and then drained and just used them like that and it was perfect!) Fold potatoes together with mayonnaise, mustard, green onions, salt, pepper, and other seasonings you like. Fold in pickles and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt, mustard, or mayo as needed. You may also splash in juice from the pickle jar if salad needs a little moisture.

This is a must try recipe!!