Meagan's Pasta Salad
Most of my recipes have been handed down from family or friends, however this is a Meagan Original!
16 oz spiral pasta, cooked
1 green pepper, chopped (I also add red pepper if I have it around)
1 tomato, chopped
1 can olives, sliced
crumbled feta cheese
Italian dressing (I prefer Good Seasonings brand, which comes in a packet)
Mix everything & serve!
Chicken Pasta Salad w/Poppyseed Dressing
This is the easiest recipe and is always a hit!
Bowtie pasta
Sliced strawberries
Chopped yellow pepper
Chopped chicken
Poppyseed salad dressing (from the store or try the simple homemade recipe below!)
Mix pasta, strawberries, peppers and chicken. Cover with poppyseed dressing & serve. So simple!
Homemade Poppyseed Dressing
Stacey Polcyn's recipe
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 1/2 TB onion
1 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 TB poppyseeds
Put everything except poppyseeds into the blender and puree. Add poppyseeds, mix and serve!
Sarah's Asian Salad w/ Spicy Peanut Sauce
My cousins recipe - a must have for all camping trips!
1 TB sesame oil
3 TB rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
2 TB sugar
1 TB freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bag precut cole slaw or broccoli salad
1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
3 scallions thinly sliced
1 cup chopped peanuts, toasted
Mix everything together. Let the salad marinate for a few hours before serving.
Grammy's Best Ever Salad
This marinated salad reminds me of summers at my grandma's cottage on Coldwater Lake. Grammy would always have this in the fridge waiting for us!
1 can of white corn, drained
1 can of baby peas, drained
2 cans of french style green beans, drained
2 oz can of pimentos, drained (I usually substitute a little chopped red pepper)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Combine the drained veggies & the chopped veggies. Mix the sugar, oil, vinegar, salt & pepper. Pour over the salad. Let it stand overnight.
Amish Macaroni Salad
Simple and delicious!
16 oz macaroni or baby sea shells
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely grated onion
6 hard boiled eggs, 5 chopped & 1 sliced
paprika
Cook macaroni as directed; drain & cool. Stir together the macaroni, celery, carrots, onion & 5 eggs.
Dressing:
1 pint Miracle Whip
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
2 TB prepared mustard
Blend together, then fold into the macaroni salad. Garnish with paprika & the sliced egg.
Crockpot Ham & Lentil Soup
My kids call this Ugly Soup - they love it!
1 cup dried lentils
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
32 ounces chicken broth
1 cup water
8 teaspoons tomato sauce
In a 3 1/2 quart or larger crockpot combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and ham. Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce. Cover and cook on Low all day. Discard the bay leaf before serving.
Meagan's Tip - I usually use leftover ham or ham hocks, preferably from Sander's Meats in Custer!
CREAMY WHITE CHILI
I once went to a potluck where someone had brought this delicious chili...and found out that it was actually my recipe that had made its way to California and back! I originally found this in Taste of Home magazine back in the 1990s.
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I use fresh instead)
1 TB oil
2 cans great northern beans rinsed & drained
1 can chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
In a large saucepan, sauté chicken, onion & garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream.
Meagan's Tips-
LOWER FAT VERSION: Substitute light sour cream and milk or half & half.
FOR AN EXTRA KICK: Serve with chopped jalepenos
SHORTEN PREP TIME: When I roast a chicken, I chop the leftover chicken and freeze. Most of the time, I make this with the leftover frozen chicken, which I defrost and add to the sauted onion & garlic
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