Frito Corn Salad

Okay...so before you scroll past this recipe...WAIT!! I know you’re thinking...what? Fritos in a salad???? I’m here to tell you, yes...Fritos in a salad. Think about it...taco salads have crispy tortillas. So what’s the difference? Nothing! This little salad is so yummy and laughably easy. Truly. Keep this on hand for a summer cookout because your friends are going to love it. If you leave them any, that is.

Frito Corn Salad

2 15-ounce cans corn ~ drained

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced bell pepper ~ green or red

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 10-ounce bag Chili Cheese Fritos

In a medium bowl, combine everything except the Fritos.

Chill for several hours then add the Fritos right before serving. 

Gently toss to combine the watch it disappear!

The line up!

Mix together everything except the Fritos then pop it in the fridge for a few hours.

Right before serving 

gently toss in the Fritos.

Get ready to make some 

new friends, guys!! Yummy!

Karen's Chicken Salad

A few weeks ago I helped to host a bridal shower for the daughter of a good friend. The hostesses decided to have a salad bar for the guests. We had all kinds of yummy salad and some homemade bread and muffins. You guys know how girls enjoy salads. Well...this was a hit! We had a cucumber/tomato salad, potato salad, 7 Layer Salad, a fruit salad, pasta salad, and this chicken salad. So yum, you guys! If you’re not a fan of mayo...which I am...you might like this because it’s made with cream cheese. And guess what? I’m a fan of that, too! This salad is delicious as sandwiches, on toast, with crackers, in pita bread...you name it...it’s yummy!

Karen’s Chicken Salad

3 chicken breasts ~ seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked, diced (reserve a little liquid)

1 cup diced celery

1 cup almond slices ~ toasted

1 cup red grapes ~ cut into fourths

1 8-ounce package cream cheese ~ softened

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper in large bowl. Add a little (a few tablespoons) of the liquid from the chicken to thin out the cream cheese. Mix to combine.

Stir in the cooked diced chicken, grapes, celery.

Add the almonds and toss gently to mix.

Serve as sandwiches, on crackers or in baked phyllo cups.

Okay...here we go!

Combine cream cheese, garlic 

powder, onion powder and salt 

and pepper in large bowl.

Add some of the liquid from the 

cooked chicken. I just poured off 

the juices from the pan. If you're 

boiling your chicken, add some 

liquid from the pot.

Next mix in the diced, cooked 

chicken, the celery and grapes.

Gently fold in the toasted almonds.

Serve it up...anyway you choose!

Chicken Taco Ramen Salad

I like to have salad recipes in my recipe arsenal, especially as spring and summer starts creeping in. My kitchen area faces the west so I get full on sun as I’m cooking and sometimes that’s zero fun. So having recipes for lighter fare is the way to go. And this little number is perfect for those days. If you use a rotisserie chicken there is no cooking at all but of course you can bake your own chicken to use then shred it up. Either way...this is a yummy salad. This makes a big bowlful but is easily cut down for a smaller crowd.

Chicken Taco Ramen Salad

1 rotisserie chicken ~ shredded (about 3 cups chicken)

2 packages chicken ramen noodles ~ crushed, seasoning packets discarded

1 16-ounce bag cabbage cole slaw mix

1 cup salsa

1 cup ranch dressing

Juice of half a lime

1 cup frozen corn ~ thawed

1 14-ounce can black beans ~ drained

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

In a small bowl, combine the salsa, lime juice and Ranch dressing. 

Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cole slaw mix, shredded chicken, corn, beans, grated cheese, and crushed ramen noodles.

Toss to combine.

Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.

Serve!

Here we go!!

Combine the Ranch dressing, 

the salsa and lime juice.

Combine all the stuff for the salad.

Then pour the salsa mixture on top.

Toss to coat!

Serve! I fried up a few flour tortillas 

to go along with our. Yumm-o!

Seafood Pasta Salad

I love seafood. IT Guy? Not so much. But I don't let his weird  (and by weird I mean he doesn't like seafood. What's with THAT?) food habits keep me from doing what I want to do. And this pasta salad is what I wanted to do and I'm glad I did because it was GOOD! I used imitation crab meat but the real deal would be wonderful. I had some frozen cooked shrimp that I threw in that were perfect. This is easy and delicious!

Seafood Pasta Salad




12 ounces pasta ~ cooked and drained (I used penne)
8 ounce package imitation crab-meat
2 cups frozen cooked shrimp
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
4 green onions ~ diced
1 - 2 stalks celery ~ chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley

In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, mayo, sugar, lemon juice, lemon pepper, garlic powder and seasoning salt.

Add the crab, shrimp, onions and celery.

Stir together then add the cooked pasta and mix gently to combine.

Chill for several hours or overnight.

Sprinkle with dried parsley right before serving.

 

Let's go!

 

In a large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, 

mayo, sugar, lemon juice, lemon pepper, 

seasoning salt, garlic powder and seasoning salt.

 

Add the crab, shrimp, onions and celery.

 

Stir together then add the cooked 

pasta and mix gently to combine.

 

Chill and serve!

Grilled Corn Tomato and Avocado Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

I was at my mom's today when she got a knock on her back door. It was neighbor passing along some of the bounty from his garden. He gave her a whole sack of beautiful tomatoes. Now with it just being my mom and dad, I knew they wouldn't eat them all so...being the good daughter that I am, I helped myself to a few. I knew just what I was going to make because at home...sitting on my counter...were three pretty avocados just waiting to be used. I've been wanting some kind of salad lately, so I knew this was it! If you've got any tomatoes left in your garden, try this yummy salad. It's light...refreshing and so simple to make. I can eat the whole thing by myself....but that's probably TMI, isn't it?

Grilled Corn Tomato and Avocado Salad with Honey Lime Dressing



1 10-ounce bag frozen corn ~ about 2 cups
1 cup large diced tomatoes
2 avocados ~ large diced
1 small red onion ~ diced
Salt & pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey

Heat a large grill pan or skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil.

Add the corn to the heated skillet and cook corn until hot and slightly grilled. Cool the corn.

In a medium bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, onion and avocados.

In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, oil, honey and salt & pepper.

Drizzle over salad and toss to coat.

 

Okay...here we go. Except the honey. 

Oops. But I'm sure YOU'LL remember it!

 

Grill the corn then let it cool.

 

Mix together the cooled corn, 

and the rest of the veggies.

 

Mix up the stuff for the dressing! Yumm-o!

 

Drizzle, toss and eat!!!

Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad

Nothing tastes better to me than a cool dinner on a hot day and this was perfect! A little bit of meat satisfies IT Guy and the fact that I don't have to do any cooking except boil some pasta, is good for me! This recipe is easily doubled if you need to feed more than 3 or 4 people and is great for parties! Hawaiian luau anyone? No kidding...this thing come together is no time at all. The time it sits in the fridge takes up more time that putting it all together! Perfect!

Hawaiian Style Pasta Salad



4 ounces bowtie pasta ~ cooked and drained
1 green onion ~ chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper ~ chopped
1 8-ounce can pineapple tidbits ~ drained, juice reserved
1 - 2 cups diced cooked ham
1/4 cup mayo
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
pinch garlic powder
pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, pineapple juice, mustard, honey, garlic powder and pepper. Whisk to blend then chill for an hour or so.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, green onion, bell pepper, drained pineapple and the ham. Toss to combine.

Drizzle dressing over the pasta and other ingredients then chill before serving.

 

The ingredients.

 

Stir up the stuff for the dressing.

 

Combine the cooked pasta, bell pepper, 

pineapple, ham and green onion.

 

Mix the dressing and the pasta 

salad stuff. Chill and serve!

 

This stuff is SO good!!!

My Favorite Chicken Salad

Okay...so IT Guy likes plain chicken salad. And by plain, I mean plain. And boring. He prefers canned chicken mixed with some mayo and some Lawry's Seasoning Salt. That's it. No celery, no onion. See? I told you it was plain and boring. Me? Well...I'm about making chicken salad a party! Some fresh, cooked chicken, some mayo, grapes, pecans...you get the idea. When we lived a California, a friend and I would frequent this little cafe where they served THEEEE best chicken salad ever. And it was served on purple bread. Yep...purple! That was my intro to fancy chicken salad and I've never turned back. This can be served on yummy bread, scooped with crackers or wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Super good any way you choose!

My Favorite Chicken Salad




3 cups cooked chicken ~ diced (white, dark or a combo)
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups red, seedless grapes ~ cut in half
1 cup diced celery
1 - 2 tablespoons dried dill
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, dill and salt and pepper.

Add the pecans, cooked chicken, celery and grapes.

Stir to combine.

Chill for several hours to allow flavors to blend. 

Serve with crackers, as a sandwich or as a lettuce wrap.

 
Okay...here's the stuff.

 
Mix the mayo, sour cream, dill and 
salt and pepper in a medium bowl. 
Then add everything else.

 
Give it a stir then cover and chill for a while.

 
Make sandwiches, serve with crackers 
or wrap in lettuce leaves! Yummers!

 
Okay...now really....who's looks better? 
I know it's difficult to make chicken 
salad look good, but c'MON!!!

Mexican Chicken Salad

Anyone can throw together a salad but coming up with different ways to serve one is always fun. That's why I decided to use a taco mix to flavor the chicken for this salad and to use the remaining part for the dressing. IT Guy gave a HUGE thumbs up to the dressing. This salad would be great if you used steak instead of the chicken. Throw in all your favorite salad ingredients to make this your own....but we loved it this way! Think about keeping this in your rotation of cool summer foods!

Mexican Chicken Salad



1 bag Romaine lettuce (or two bunches, cut up)
2 large chicken breasts ~ sliced in half
2 - 3 Roma tomatoes ~ sliced
1 avocado ~ diced
1 red bell pepper ~ diced
2 - 3 green onions ~ diced
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cooked corn ~ optional
1/2 cup black beans ~ optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, salsa and the rest of the taco seasoning. Stir well. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1 - 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning.

Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until done.

Allow chicken to cool to the touch for a few minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl or small individual bowls, layer salad ingredients. 

Drizzle dressing on salad then top with a few crushed tortilla chips.


 

Let's make a salad!

 

Season your chicken with some of 

the taco mix and salt and pepper.

 

Bake, cool then dice.

 

Mix the sour cream, remaining 

taco mix and some salsa.

 

Chop up some veggies and make your salad!

 

Drizzle with the yummy dressing 

and you're good to go!