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BLT Pasta Salad

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BLT Pasta Salad

This is the busiest time of year for me. My boys have so much going on that dinner time is often a rushed meal between activities. Some nights there is not even time to cook. Those are the nights I depend on my slow cooker or do easy make-ahead meals like my BLT Pasta Salad.

My boys love any meal where there is pasta involved. I saw a recipe on Pinterest that was simply pasta, tomatoes, lettuce and bacon bits mixed with bottled ranch dressing. While my boys would be all over that ranch dressing, that’s not really my speed. I decided to see if I could come up with a recipe that my guys would love.

I opted to use Greek yogurt for my dressing. I use it in place of mayo and/or sour cream in many of my recipes and like the others, it turned out great. I also wanted to bump up the nutrition so I went with spinach instead of lettuce. Of course if you prefer, chop up some romaine and toss it in instead. You really can make this recipe your own.

My version was a hit and now it’s one of my go to recipes when I know I need a meal ready ahead of time.

This is one of those recipes that is actually better if you allow it to sit in the fridge for a while. It’s a great dinner option and also a perfect potluck dish. Whip up a big batch and you’ll find that the bowl comes back completely empty!

5.0 from 1 reviews
BLT Pasta Salad
 
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Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 16 oz pasta - your favorite shape
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 4 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool
  2. While the pasta is cooking, make your dressing.
  3. Mix the yogurt, garlic, ranch seasoning and lemon juice until combined.
  4. Add the cooked pasta, tomatoes and spinach to a large bowl and toss with the prepared dressing.
  5. Refrigerate for 4 - 6 hours before serving.
  6. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon before serving.

 

Lemon Orzo Salad with Watermelon & Feta

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Lemon Orzo Salad with Watermelon and Feta

The folks at Good Cook sent me a big ProFreshionals Cut Fruit Bowl the other day. It’s a huge 7 quart capacity bowl so I knew I’d be filling that baby with a whole bunch of watermelon. Well, when I think watermelon – I  think of my all time favorite Lemon Orzo Salad with Watermelon & Feta.

I love a good salad…especially in the summer. A light and refreshing salad is the best thing on a super hot day. A long time ago I found a Weight Watchers salad that combined orzo, watermelon and feta. At first, the combination just didn’t sound all that appealing to me. I was in an online group and when I saw the picture from another member who gushed at how good it was, I decided to give it a try. Thank goodness for that picture as this is one of my all time avorite salads.

I am always changing up and modifying recipes and I finally found a combination that I love. I add the tang of lemon plus the texture of toasted walnuts to make a good salad even better!

This salad comes together very quickly and I have even served this one with thinly sliced steak to make my carnivores happy. It’s light, refreshing and oh so good!

profreshionalsIf you are looking for a way to keep your cut fruit fresher for longer, you might want to grab your own ProFreshionals Cut Fruit Bowl. The internal bowl is like a big colander and allows the excess juice to fall to the outer bowl. Since the fruit is not sitting in it’s own juices, it stays fresher longer – super smart!!

Lemon Orzo Salad with Watermelon & Feta
 
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Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large bunch fresh basil, chiffonade
  • 2 cups watermelon, cut into bite size pieces
  • ¼ cup feta, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons walnuts, toasted
Instructions
  1. Cook the orzo pasta according to package instructions.
  2. Drain and rinse with cold water. Allow to drain completely.
  3. In a small bowl, combine honey and lemon juice then whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
  4. Mix in salt and pepper.
  5. Place pasta, watermelon, basil and feta in a large bowl.
  6. Toss with the prepared vinaigrette then sprinkle with walnuts right before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Weight Watchers

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Supreme Pizza Pasta Bake

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Supreme Pizza Pasta Bake

It’s teacher appreciation week at my kids’ school. My boys have a bunch of teachers between them. In addition to his regular teacher, my oldest son is in the advanced placement class and has a variety of other teachers for PE, computer, music, etc. Let’s just say there are a lot of folks to appreciate.

My youngest son has the same PE, music, computer teacher PLUS he has a couple of speech teachers, OT, and lots of people that help him so he can be successful each day. He has some special needs. His issues aren’t severe, but he does need that little bit of support each day at school. He is in a regular kindergarten class and has done phenomenal this year. Much of his success I credit to his wonderful teacher. She is a firm teacher but is also the kindest, sweetest woman you could meet.

With our big move to Chattanooga, I was very worried about the school year. My Jeb-a-doo loved his preschool teachers and they had grown to love him so much as well. I feared that a new school could mean a year filled with difficulties. Well, school is soon to end, and I am happy to say that the year went smoothly. Like many of the other kindergarten children, Jeb had a few rough days here and there, but overall I would say that that this year was very successful. I give much of the credit to Jeb’s teacher. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all she has done to make this a great year for Jeb and for me!

For teacher appreciation week, I have planned several things to show her exactly how much I appreciate her. Well, you guys know I cook…alot. So, I thought that giving her a night out of the kitchen would be a great way to let her know that she is appreciated. I decided to whip up a great dish that I think her whole family will love. I know she has a son in middle school and so I figured my Pizza Supreme Pasta Bake would be a big hit.

It combines all of the great taste of a supreme pizza with the ease of a pasta casserole. I simply whipped it up and placed it in a big pan. She will only have to pop it in the oven and dinner is done! I even went ahead and made a second one for me. Might as well knock a couple of meals out while I am in the kitchen!

If you need a quick meal or a meal to take to a friend, teacher, new neighbor or just to let someone know you appreciate them – give this a try. I think you will love how easy it is and they will love the taste.

Supreme Pizza Pasta Bake
 
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Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients
  • 16 oz pasta, cooked according to package directions (I like to use penne)
  • 8 oz sausage
  • 8 oz ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cups pasta sauce (I used my homemade sauce but you can use your favorite jarred sauce as well)
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 4 oz pepperoni
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 375º F.
  2. Cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside.
  3. In a large skillet cook the sausage, beef and onion until the meats are browned (in my case the beef was already in my sauce).
  4. Drain any excess fat.
  5. Add the mushrooms and pasta sauce and cook until heated through.
  6. Toss with the cooked pasta and spoon half of the mixture into a 13" x9" baking pan that has been lightly coated with cooking spray.
  7. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese.
  8. Spoon in the remaining pasta mixture and top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
  9. Bake in a 375º F oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

 

Easy Asian Noodle Salad

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easy-asian-noodle-salad-1All of my guys love spaghetti. Instead of plain old pasta with tomato sauce, I like to shake it up a bit. I love a good noodle salad with big flavor. My Easy Asian Noodle Salad is one of my favorite recipe to throw together because I can prepare it early in the day and then pull it out when dinner time rolls around.

Breaking up dinner prep over the day means a less stressful evening. If I can knock out one part of dinner at my convenience, my time in the kitchen seems to fly by.

Like many pasta salads, the longer this one marinates – the better it tastes. I try to make a big batch so that I can munch on it throughout the week for lunch.

Besides tasting great, this is a great recipe to get more veggies in your family. I listed my favorite veggies but feel free to  toss in your favorites. You can even add some meat to make this a complete meal. I love this with a quick sautéed chicken or pork. This is a super easy recipe to whip up a great meal or side dish.

Easy Asian Noodle Salad
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 8 oz thin spaghetti, cooked according to package
  • 1 large cucumber, seeded and cut into thin strips
  • 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup snow pea pods, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ½ cup peanuts
  • ¼ cup rice noodles
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice, peanut butter, vinegar, honey and soy sauce.
  2. Toss the mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds and whisk until combined.
  3. Place cooked spaghetti, carrots, onion, cucumber and pea pods in a large bowl.
  4. Toss with dressing then place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
  5. Serve cold.
  6. Top with rice noodles and peanuts before serving.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon, Mushrooms and Chicken

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Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon, Mushrooms and ChickenSome days you need a big helping of comfort food. There is nothing better than a big bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese. Now, I am not talking about the kind you make with a box and powdered cheese sauce. I am talking about the creamy, melt in your mouth kind of mac & cheese that will have you going back to the dish for seconds.

The recipe that I make is my take on a recipe from an old cookbook from the 40’s (Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook). It really just requires that you make a good rue and use a quality cheese. It takes a few minutes to cook up the rue but it is not complicated and the results are fantastic. The sauce is the creamiest that I have ever had. I always whip this one up for holiday meals and of course whenever I get a hankering.

The basic mac & cheese recipe is fantastic as a side dish and goes to a whole other level when you add in a few extras. With the addition of sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, crisp bacon and some grilled chicken, the macaroni and cheese becomes a main dish that your whole family will flip over. Try this recipe for Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon, Mushrooms and Chicken when you need a big helping of comfort food….you won’t be disappointed.

5.0 from 2 reviews
Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon, Mushrooms and Chicken
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 8 oz macaroni noodles
  • 7 tablespoons butter, divided
  • ⅓ cup flour
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard
  • 1½ cups sharp cheddar, grated
  • 1½ cups fontina cheese, grated
  • ½ cup bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
  • 2 - 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup grilled chicken, sliced
  • ½ - ¾ cups panko breadcrumbs
  • green onions for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
  3. Sautee mushrooms in one tablespoon of butter until golden brown and set aside
  4. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in large saucepan.
  5. Combine flour, salt, nutmeg and mustard then add to melted butter and whisk until smooth.
  6. Add milk and cream, stir constantly while cooking on medium high until mixture boils.
  7. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for 10 minutes while stirring constantly.
  8. Add cheeses and stir until melted.
  9. Remove from heat.
  10. Add cooked noodles, cooked bacon, chopped tomatoes, chicken and mushrooms to the cheese sauce and toss to coat.
  11. Pour into casserole dish, sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs and bake on 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
  12. Serve topped with sliced green onions.
Notes
Be sure and cook the cheese sauce for the full 10 minutes. The rue will taste like flour if not cooked.

For plain mac & cheese, skip the extra ingredients added in step #9. Top with breadcrumbs and bake as listed.

I usually pull out one serving of mac and cheese that I bake in a ramekin then use my 1.5 qt Good Cook Casserole dish after I have all the extras added in. My little one is a basic kind of guy and like the plain and simple version.

Inspired by the recipe from Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook