Honey Mustard Chicken Avocado Bacon Salad

https://cafedelites.com/honey-mustard-chicken-avocado-bacon-salad/

Dressing / Marinade:

• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons smooth and mild Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), (OPTIONAL -- to cut through the sweetness)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt to season
• 4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts

For Salad:

• 1/4 cup diced bacon , trimmed of rind and fat
• 4 cups Romaine lettuce leaves , washed
• 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 large avocado , pitted and sliced
• 1/4 cup corn kernels
• 1/4 of a red onion , sliced

Instructions

1. Whisk marinade / dressing ingredients together to combine. Pour half the marinade into a shallow dish to marinade the chicken fillets for two hours if time allows. Refrigerate the reserved untouched marinade to use as a dressing.
2. Heat a nonstick pan (or grill pan or skillet) over medium heat with about a teaspoon of oil and sear / grill chicken fillets on each side until golden, crispy and cooked through. (Grill in batches to prevent excess water being released.) Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.
3. Wipe pan over with paper towel; drizzle with another teaspoon of oil and fry the bacon until crispy.
4. Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with leaves, tomatoes, avocado slices, corn, onion strips and chicken.
5. Whisk 2 tablespoons of water into the remaining untouched marinade / dressing and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the top and season with a little extra salt and cracked pepper (optional).

Pineapple Spinach Salad

https://thefoodcharlatan.com/pineapple-spinach-salad-recipe/

This was a super simple salad but so yummy!

For the dressing

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (optional--taste it first)

For the pecans

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the salad

• 10-13 ounces spinach
• 1 pineapple, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 6 ounces feta

Instructions

1. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar or tupperware. Shake vigorously and set aside.
2. In a small pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. When hot, add the pecans and stir to coat. Add the brown sugar and stir again. Stir occasionally until the sugar starts to caramelize, about 2-5 minutes. Remove to a wax paper lined cookie sheet and let cool.
3. In a large bowl add the spinach, pineapple, and feta. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the top with pecans and serve with the salad dressing (you might not use all of it).

Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranian Salad

https://cafedelites.com/grilled-lemon-herb-mediterranean-chicken-salad-recipe/

Marinade/Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• cracked pepper , to taste
• (1 pound | 500 g) 4 skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets (or chicken breasts)

Salad:

• 4 cups Romaine (or Cos) lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 1 large cucumber , diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes , diced
• 1 red onion , sliced
• 1 avocado , sliced
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives (or black olives), sliced (optional)
• Lemon wedges , to serve

Instructions

1. Whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients in a large jug. Pour out half of the marinade into a large, shallow dish. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as the dressing later.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade in the bowl; marinade chicken for 15-30 minutes (or up to two hours in the refrigerator if time allows). While waiting for the chicken, prepare all of the salad ingredients and mix in a large salad bowl.
3. Once chicken is ready, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or a grill plate over medium-high heat. Grill chicken on both sides until browned and completely cooked through.
4. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes; slice and arrange over salad. Drizzle salad with the remaining UNTOUCHED dressing. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes

Add 1/2 cup crumbled feta to give the salad an even better flavour!

Asain Sesame Chicken Salad

http://littlespicejar.com/asian-sesame-chicken-salad/

Ingredients:

 SESAME VINAIGRETTE:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 whole cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

SALAD:

• 4 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped (or spring mix)
• 1 (15 oz can) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup wonton strips (see notes)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 12 ounces cooked grilled chicken, sliced or diced (see note)

Directions:

1. FOR THE DRESSING: Place the rice vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat and allow it to just come to a gentle boil, add the sugar and garlic cloves and let the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove the rice vinegar mixture from the stove and discard the garlic cloves. Place the rice vinegar mixture in a mason jar and add the sesame oil, canola oil, soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Allow the dressing to come to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes. Screw on the lid and give it a good shake until the dressing mixes together. Please note, homemade salad dressing will separate as it sits, just give it a good shake before pouring onto the salad.
2. ASSEMBLE THE SALAD: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad and top with the sesame vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad

Chicken
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
Salad
• 1 head of lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Dressing
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce

Instructions

1. In small bowl, add chicken and buffalo sauce. Mix together until chicken is coated with sauce.
2. In a large bowl, add lettuce, carrots, celery, cucumber, avocado and tomatoes. Mix together. I usually put a lid on a my bowl and shake it up.
3. Add salad to individual bowls. Top each salad with about a 1/2 cup of buffalo chicken and blue cheese crumbles. This doesn't really have to be measured out. I love blue cheese so I add more to my salad than my husband puts on his.
4. Add your homemade spicy ranch dressing and you're ready to enjoy your Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad.

Big Mac Salad

Dressing:

2 Tbsp each: mayo, sour cream, ketchup
2 tsp water
1 tsp vinegar
1 Tbsp relish
1 Tbsp onion
1 tsp sugar
dash hot sauce
pinch salt

Combine ingredients together in a blender til blended.

1 tsp salt, divided
2 tsp olive oil
1 lg. onion
2 garlic cloves
1 lb. ground beef
lettuce
tomato
cheese
pickles

Saute garlic in oil. Add beef and cook til done. Serve salad with beef, onion, tomato, cheese, pickles, and dressing.

Honey Mustard Chicken Bacon & Avocado Salad

Ingredients

Dressing / Marinade:

• ⅓ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons smooth and mild Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt to season
• 4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts

For Salad:

• ¼ cup diced bacon, trimmed of rind and fat
• 4 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, washed
• 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 large avocado, pitted and sliced
• ¼ cup corn kernels
• ¼ of a red onion, sliced

1. Whisk marinade / dressing ingredients together to combine. Pour half the marinade into a shallow dish to marinade the chicken fillets for two hours if time allows. Refrigerate the reserved untouched marinade to use as a dressing.
2. Heat a nonstick pan (or grill pan or skillet) over medium heat with about a teaspoon of oil and sear / grill chicken fillets on each side until golden, crispy and cooked through. (Grill in batches to prevent excess water being released.) Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.
3. Wipe pan over with paper towel; drizzle with another teaspoon of oil and fry the bacon until crispy.
4. Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with leaves, tomatoes, avocado slices, corn, onion strips and chicken.
5. Whisk 2 tablespoons of water into the remaining untouched marinade / dressing and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the top and season with a little extra salt and cracked pepper (optional).

Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Fajita Salad

Ingredients

Marinade/Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 100ml (just over ⅓ cup) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon red chilli flakes (adjust to your preference of spice)
• ½ teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 4 chicken thigh fillets, skin removed (no bone)
• ½ yellow bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
• ½ red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
• ½ an onion, sliced
• 5 cups Romaine (or cos) lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 2 avocados, sliced
• Extra cilantro leaves to garnish
• Sour cream (optional) to serve

1. Whisk marinade ingredients together to combine. Pour half the marinade into a shallow dish to marinade the chicken fillets for two hours if time allows. Refrigerate the reserved untouched marinade to use as a dressing.
2. Heat about one teaspoon of oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and grill chicken fillets on each side until golden, crispy and cooked through. (Grill in batches to prevent excess water being released.) Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.
3. Wipe pan over with paper towel; drizzle with another teaspoon of oil and fry pepper and onion strips until cooked to your liking.
4. Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with leaves, avocado slices, peppers, onion strips and chicken. Drizzle with remaining marinade/dressing and serve with (optional) extra cilantro leaves and sour cream.

Caramel Apple Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

Sugared Pretzels:

• 1 cup pretzels, roughly chopped (measure after chopping)
• ½ cup pecans, chopped (measure after chopping)
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup butter, melted

Cream Cheese Mixture:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
• 3 cups diced apples (about 2 large apples)
• ½ cup caramel sauce (I used Marzetti Old Fashioned Caramel Dip)
• 3 cups whipped topping or whipped cream

Instructions

Sugared Pretzels:

1. Mix together crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter.
2. Spread in a large baking sheet with sides (I used my jelly roll pan) and bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.
3. Allow the mixture to cool and then break it into small pieces.

Cream Cheese Mixture:

1. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
2. Beat in the caramel sauce until smooth.
3. Fold in whipped topping.
4. Stir in the diced apples and sugared pretzels

Grape Salad

Another from our Relief Society Meeting night. This was so good. I couldn't stop eating it.

4 lbs of grapes (make sure they are firm)
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
brown sugar, for dusting

Separate, wash, and dry grapes. Mix other ingredients in a bowl. Toss all together and dust with brown sugar on top. You can also add slivered almonds on top to garnish.

sweet & spicy coleslaw

I combined this recipe and this recipe. It was really good. I used 1 bag of coleslaw at first but then I added another because it was too saucy. Also, if you taste it right away it will be grainy from the sugar but it dissolved in and was delish! We served it on top of pulled pork sandwiches.


2 bags coleslaw (or you can use fresh)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped fine
1-2 jalapenos, finely chopped (depending on spice level you want)
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. creole mustard (I couldn't find this, so I used a whole grain mustard) start with 2 Tbsp and add more if desired
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 c. sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
salt to taste
1/2 tsp celery seed

Mix everything together except coleslaw. Once mixed well add coleslaw and toss to coat. Refrigerate for a few hours or more before serving.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 3/4 cup canned corn kernels, drained
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup tortilla strips

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
• To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
• Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.

Mandarin Orange Salad

Mandarin Orange & Spinach Salad
8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 medium red onion (sliced and separated into rings)
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges (drained)
1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, or to taste
• Put servings of spinach on each plate.
• Top with red onion, mandarin oranges, cranberries, walnuts and gorgonzola cheese in that order.
• Drizzle dressing over each salad.

Sweet Sensation Salad w/ blush onion vinaigrette

http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2014/05/01/make-weeknight-special-sweet-sensation-salad.html

Frog Eye Salad

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Acini de Pepe, (Found in the pasta aisle)
• 2 small cans crushed pineapple or tidbits, drained and reserve juice
• 1 (11 oz) can mandarin orange slices, drained
• 1 (4.6 oz) box cook & serve vanilla pudding
• 1 (8 oz) Cool Whip
• 8 oz. mini marshmallows
• Optional garnish: Maraschino cherries and Mandarin orange slices
• Optional add in: shredded coconut

 1. Cook the vanilla pudding as directed on the box. Pour into a bowl and place in the fridge until chilled. (You may want to put saran wrap over the pudding, right up against it, so a pudding skin doesn't form. If it does, just scrape it off after it is chilled).

2. Cook the pasta as directed on the box. Rinse with cold water and drain.

3. Add the pasta to a very large bowl. Add the fruit, the reserved pineapple juice, and stir. Add the chilled vanilla pudding, cool whip and marshmallows. Chill and let sit overnight before serving.


*I add halved grapes

Macaroni Salad

I got this from food.com and it's #63733. It was a nice little change from our typical macaroni salad

1 c. mayo
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb. macaroni, cooked and drained
1 c. sliced celery
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
1/2 c. chopped green onion

Combine dressing ingredients. Stir into remaining ingredients. Cover and chill.

Chipolte Chicken Taco Salad

Nutmeg Notebook posted this delicious salad recipe. Super easy and super yummy.

Photo is copied from Nutmeg's site

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
Dressing:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.
Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Creamy Avacado Pasta Salad

I found this recipe off Pintrest. I don't recall the actual site it came from.

6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled (I used bacon bits)
1/2 lb. rotini pasta (I used radiatior pasta)
1/2 c. mayo
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dill
1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, chunked

Cook pasta according to package. Drain. Meanwhile, mix mayo, lemon juice, and seasonings. Combine well. Add bacon, tomatoes, and avocado. Toss to coat. Add cooked pasta. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Potato Salad

This is my new favorite thing. I made this for our daughter's birthday party bbq that we did with our families and it was GONE! I was hoping for a little leftover but the bowl was clean.

I adapted this recipe kinda by myself. I used to work at an office that was close to Walmart so we would go to the deli for lunch once in a while. I would always get their baked potato salad...then Josh and I got the idea to make it ourselves.

6-8 red potatoes, baked (depending on size)
2/3 c (heaping) mayo
2/3 c. sour cream
bacon bits, chives, cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste

Mix your mayo and sour cream. Add bacon bits, chives, cheese, s & p. Mix well. Dice potatoes and add to dressing. Toss to coat. Enjoy!

We're taking this to a 4th of July bbq too. We'll see what the results are there. Hope you enjoy!

Christmas Jell-o Salad

From: Grandma Watson

Bottom: 2 pkgs cherry jell-o prepared and poured into a 9 x 13 dish. Set until firm

Middle: 1 pkg lemon jell-o
1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped (NOT cool whip)
1 cup crushed pineapple
Set until slightly thickened then stir in 1 pkg cream cheese.
Set until thick then pour on bottom layer, set until firm.

Top: 2 pkgs lime jell-o prepared, set until thick.
Pour over middle layer and set until firm.