Orange-Cream Fruit Salad

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained

1 (16 ounce) can peach slices, drained

1 (11 ounce) mandarin orange sections, drained

3 (medium) bananas

2 (medium) apples cored, and chopped

1 (3.5 or 3.75 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding

1 ½ cups milk

3 ounces (1/3) cup frozen orange juice concentrate

¾ cup sour cream

Lettuce cups

Serves 10

In large bowl, combine pineapple chunks, peaches, orange sections, bananas, and apples; set aside. In a small bowl combine dry pudding mix, milk and orange juice concentrate. Beat 1 to 2 minutes or until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Fold into the fruit mixture. Cover and refrigerate several hours. Serve the salad in lettuce cups on individual serving plates. Note: If you want to make this up a day in advance, add bananas just before serving. You can also serve it without the lettuce cups too.

Mandarin Orange Salad

Salad

1/2 head red lettuce
1/2 head romaine
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions chopped
1 can mandarin oranges

Dressing

4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup salad oil

Almonds

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar
Broil until brown

Assemble salad, dressing and add almonds.

Jillene Rios

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Dressing

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup oil

½ tsp. dry mustard (a couple squeezes of just regular yellow mustard works too!! It is what I do)

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup strawberry jam (Homemade freezer jam is the best)

Salad

1/3-cup sugar

1-cup cashew pieces

15 wontons cut into strips

1 large head of red leaf lettuce, broken into peaces

1 package of fresh spinach

1/3 cup bacon pieces, cooked and well drained

½ cup chopped red bell peppers

1 purple onion slices (I like to use only ½ an onion)

1-cup strawberries sliced

Directions:

To make dressing, mix together vinegar, sugar, oil, mustard, salt, and strawberry jam. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. I use a mason jar, so I can shake it. Do not add to salad until it is ready to be served. If added too early, it will wilt.

Heat a medium frying pan and add sugar and nuts. Stir constantly over medium heat until nuts are coated and slightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Fry wontons in hot cooking oil and drain onto paper towels.

When ready to serve the salad, put lettuce, spinach, bacon, red pepper, onion, and strawberries into a large bowl and toss. Add salad dressing and toss. Add sugared nuts and wontons last. Makes 10 servings.

Natalie Riley

Jello Pretzel Salad

2 1/2 c. pretzels (crushed fine)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 (6 oz) pkg instant strawberry jello
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries or small container (16 oz) sliced fresh strawberries (I prefer fresh)
1 ( 8 oz ) pkg cream cheese
1 c. sugar
8 oz. cool whip

Combine pretzels, brown sugar, and melted butter and press into a greased 9 X 13 pan. You can use more butter if the crust isn't sticking together and make the pretzels more crushed than I did. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes.

Make jello according to directions and add the strawberries. Refrigerate until partially set. *If it is not set enough it will leak through your cream cheese layer and make your pretzels soggy.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in cool whip. Spread over cooled crust. Pour jello over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate.

Chicken Salad Crossiants

3-4 cooked chicken breasts (I boiled mine)
2 chopped hard boiled eggs
¾ cup miracle whip
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans. You can use slivered almonds too)
1 cup chopped purple grapes (half or quarter them)
Salt and pepper

Shred the cooked chicken breasts into small pieces. Mix in miracle whip.
Combine and stir chopped hard boiled eggs, onion, walnuts, and purple grapes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on croissants.

Bowtie Chicken Ceasar Salad

2 bunches green leaf lettuce, chopped
1 bag Marie Calendars Fat Free Croutons
1 bag Almond Accents/ Roasted Garlic Caesar
2 Chicken Breasts, boiled with an onion and salt and pepper
2 cups bowtie pasta, cooked
4 - 6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
Brianna’s Asiago Caesar Dressing

Toss all the above ingredients with Caesar dressing right before serving. Serves 20-25.

*I like Brianna's dressing because it is potent and you don't have to use a lot but you could substitute another quality Caesar dressing as well.

PINK JELL-O SALAD

1 large strawberry Jell-O
2 small vanilla puddings
4 cups water
2 packages Dream Whip

Boil Jell-O, pudding and water. Let it set overnight. Make Dream Whip as directed and mix in with the Jell-O mixture.

Bonnie Peterson

CREAMY JELL-O LAYERS

1 pkg. Jell-O Gelatin (3 oz.)
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 tub Cool Whip (8 oz.), divided
Fresh fruit

Dissolve Jell-O in 1 ½ cups boiling water. Whisk in 2 cups Cool Whip. Pour into individual dishes. Chill until set (15-30 minutes). Top with sliced fresh fruit and additional topping.

Erin Ropelato

Fruit and Nut Salad

1 bunch green leaf lettuce, chopped (I used two bags of prechopped Romaine lettuce)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups red grapes, halved
2-3 chicken breasts
1/2 of a white onion
1 bag Dried Cherry, Cranberry and Pecan Salad Pizazz (I found mine at Super Target by the bagged salad)
1 bottle Brianna’s Poppy seed or Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing (sometimes we do half of each)
1 (4 ounce) container crumbled feta (optional)
salt and pepper

Boil chicken with salt, pepper, and onion. Once cooled, cube chicken. Put everything in a large bowl. Toss with dressing right before serving. Serves 15-20 people.

Recipe Notes:
1) You may not need the whole bottle of dressing.
2) If you can't find the Salad Pizzaz you can use 1/2 cup of cranberries and a half cup of pecans.
3) If you want to caramelize your own pecans do the following: In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup sugar until melted. It will eventually melt if you just turn up the heat and wait. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and then toss in the pecans and keep stirring until they are coated. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.

Harvest Chicken Salad

Dressing
2 oranges
1/3 c. fat-free mayo
2 T. stone-ground mustard
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 small clove garlic, pressed

Salad
1 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach leaves
2 c. diced roasted chicken (good use for any pre-cooked chicken you may have)
1 c. diced celery
2 medium Red Delicious apples
1/2 c. chopped red onion
3/4 c. sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 c. toasted pecan halves (optional, but really good)
Orange segments (optional)
Whole-grain croutons (optional)

For dressing, zest one orange to measure 2 t. zest. Juice oranges to measure 1/2 c. juice. combine orange zest, mayo, mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. While continuously whisking, add orange juice in a thin, steady stream. Set dressing aside.

For salad, place spinach in bottom of large serving bowl. Dice the chicken and celery. Quarter apple, then remove stems and seeds. Slice apple quarters thinly. Layer chicken, celery, apples, onion, cranberries, and pecans over spinach. To serve, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with orange segments and croutons. Serve immediately.

Pampered Chef

Mint and Garlic Aioli Potato Salad with Bacon

4 cups potatoes -red or golden type
1/2 red onion, diced
2 T. fresh chives
2 T. fresh mint
3-ish bacon slices
Salt

Aioli
1 egg yolk
1 tsp cold water
1-2 T. fresh mint, finely minced
1-2 T. fresh chives, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2/3 c. olive oil

Begin by boiling the potatoes, whole, until fork tender. Don't let them get too tender though, they need to be able to stay in cube form without turning to mush. Time will vary depending on their size.

Drain potatoes run under cold water. Set aside

Meanwhile, make the aioli by whisking the yolk and adding the water. Continue to whisk, incorporating as much air as possible. Slowly, drop by drop, add in the oil, all the while whisking and whisking some more, switching from left to right hands which should be numb... {yes, you will work off all of the calories from the salad this way}. When you are done you should have a light in color sauce with a similar consistency to mayonnaise.

Add in the herbs and garlic, and a pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.

Cook up the bacon and set aside.

Dice the potatoes into cubes. Finely dice the red onion. Combine the two together in a medium bowl. Crumble bacon and add as well. Add a pinch of salt. Stir in as much of the aoili as desired to moisten the potatoes, gently stirring to incorporate. Give it a taste and add any needed salt {oh yeah, and pepper}

Serve with an extra sprinkle of minced herbs on top.

Natalie Riley

Curly Italian Pasta Salad

1 package of curly pasta - multicolored
1 bottle of Italian dressing
1 can of olives - chopped
2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions and then add Italian dressing and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours.

Once done add olives and cheese and then serve.

Ceasar Salad

2 Tbsp mayo
2 tsp Dijion mustard
2 large garlic cloves - chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Romaine lettuce
Baguette
Goat Cheese

Place mayo, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper into the bottom of the salad bowl. Whip until smooth as you whip pour in olive oil slowly then add the Parmesan cheese and whip.

Add clean, cut romaine lettuce to bowl and toss. Sprinkle on more Parmesan cheese and croutons.

Slice baguette 1/2 in slices diagonally. Place on cookie sheet and brush with melted butter to toast in broiler. Remove once toasted and put goat cheese on each and place back in broiler for 2 min.

Laura Berry

Salad Making 101

Pink Jello Salad

1 large strawberry jello
2 small vanilla puddings
4 cups of water
2 packages of Dream Whip

Boil Jello, pudding and water. Let it set overnight. Make Dream whip as directed and mix in with the jello mixture.

Bonnie Peterson

Fall Salad

Romaine Lettuce chopped
1 Fiji apple cut up into bit size pieces
4 oz Feta Cheese
1 cup carmelized pecans (see below)
1/2 cup crasins

Dressing

In a blender add first 5 then slowly add the remaining

1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp dijion mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup vinegar
Pour in 1 cup vegetable oil slowly
add 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Toss just before serving and refrigerate the remaining.

Carmelized Pecans

Preheat oven to 250
1 egg white
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
Whisk with fork until frothy. Add 1 cup of pecans and then one cup sugar and stir to coat. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 45 minutes. Stir every 15 min.


Amy Chapman

Frog Eye Salad

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 eggs beaten
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 quarts water
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 pkg (16 oz) Acini de Pepe
3 cans (11oz) mandarin oranges, drained
2 cans (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1 carton (9oz) Cool Whip
2 cups miniature marshmellows

Combine sugar, flour and one half tsp. of the salt. Gradually stir in pineapple juice and eggs. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until thickened. Add lemon juice. Cool mixture to room temp. Bring water, remaining two tsp. salt and oil to boil. Add Acini de Pepe. Cook at rolling boil until its done. Drain and rinse with water, drain again and cool to room temp. Combine egg mixture and Acini de Pepe. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight in airtight container.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix lightly, but thoroughly. Refrigerate until chilled in air tight container. Salad may be refrigerated for as long as a week in that container. It also may be frozen, though freezing somewhat alters the texture. Makes 25 servings.

Linda Wayment Cookbook from Erin