Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

I'm genuinely trying to make healthier food choices, and in my mind, salads definitely qualify. Of course, salads are a lot like baked potatoes. They're perfectly healthy until you start adding all the good stuff!

This one was a pretty healthy combination of vegetables, meat, and a few other goodies. Unfortunately, I decided to try a low-sugar Thousand Island dressing, and that was a mistake. It was awful! I knew I should have just made my own in the first place. Now I'm out $5 and have a bottle of salad dressing headed straight for the trash. Lesson learned.

One thing I really liked about this recipe was the way the ground beef was prepared. Instead of the usual routine of browning it and breaking it into little crumbles, you form it into individual mini burgers. I thought that was a fun and clever twist!

I cut the recipe in half, using just ½ pound of ground beef, and ended up with eight mini burgers. Four went on tonight's dinner salads, and the other four are tucked away for leftovers this weekend. Not a bad deal at all!

Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

Recipe from Taste of Home

Serves 4

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
• 6 c torn iceberg lettuce
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 c salad croutons
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 c dill pickle slices
• Thousand Island salad dressing

In a large bowl, combine beef and steak seasoning, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape into twenty 1/2-in.-thick patties. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160°.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, burgers, cheese, croutons, tomato, onion and pickles. Serve with salad dressing.

Freeze option: Place patties on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; cover and freeze until firm. Remove from pan and transfer to an airtight container; return to freezer. To use, cook frozen patties as directed, increasing time as necessary for a thermometer to read 160°.

Autumn Chopped Salad

Photo from Life In
the Loft House

It’s fall, y’all! And if you know me, you know fall is my favorite season. Part of the reason? SOUP AND STEW SEASON. But fall also brings all those salads that somehow just feel more appropriate once the temperatures start dropping.

Of course, I make salads like this year-round. But there’s something about the flavors of a fall salad that just hits differently in October.

Last night was Vines & Spines book club, and I was the hostess. Our setup is pretty perfect: whoever hosts is responsible for the main dish and sides, while the other two bring an appetizer and dessert. Since I’m someone who genuinely enjoys making an entire meal, this arrangement works out very nicely for me.

For the side, I decided on this fall salad to go with the main course—a Pork Chop and Potatoes Casserole. You can read all about that one here.

I did make one BIG change to the salad recipe. The original calls for using a bottle of store-bought poppy seed dressing. Nope. I decided to make my own instead, and I’m very glad I did. It’s incredibly easy to whip together and, in my opinion, tastes so much better than the bottled stuff.

The poppy seed dressing recipe came from Sherrie’s Kick Ass Salad. I did make one little adjustment there too, swapping the regular sugar for a low-carb sugar alternative.

And that’s really all I have to say about this one: make this salad. It’s fresh, crunchy, a little sweet, and completely at home on a fall dinner table.

You won’t regret it.

Autumn Chopped Salad

Recipe from Life in the Lofthouse

Serves 4

• 8 c chopped Romaine lettuce
• 2 c Spring Mix lettuce
• 2 small Red delicious or Gala apples sliced thin
• 1 c dried cranberries
• 1 c chopped candied pecans
• 8 slices bacon crisp-cooked and crumbled
• 4 ounces Feta cheese crumbled
• bottle of poppy seed dressing OR make the dressing below.

DRESSING

• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

In a large bowl, add chopped romaine lettuce, Spring Mix lettuce, apples, cranberries, pecans, bacon and Feta cheese. Toss well to combine.

If you're making the dressing, have that already made by mixing all the ingredients together. You'll most likely have more dressing than you need. 

Divide salad among individual salad bowls. Top with desired amount of creamy poppy seed dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Spanish Tomato & Cheese Salad

I love Spain. My Dad loved Spain, too, and I think some of my affection for the country came from him. But even without that connection, Spain would still have a pretty firm hold on my heart. And then there’s the food. Paella alone is enough to make me want to book a flight.

But one of the things I really fell in love with while I was in Spain was the cheese. Specifically, Manchego. Oh my goodness. Manchego in Spain is something special.

I still love Manchego here in the U.S., but it isn't quite the same. That's true of so many foods, really. Something you eat in its home country just seems to have a little extra magic that doesn't always make the trip across the ocean.

And since it's tomato season, pairing ripe, juicy, straight-from-the-vine tomatoes with Manchego seemed like a pretty obvious idea for a side dish.

Naturally, I then proceeded to completely screw up the recipe.

I didn't realize I was out of Sherry vinegar until I was already making it. Rather than admit defeat and put the whole thing on hold, I substituted fresh lemon juice because I knew I needed some acidity. Red wine vinegar didn't seem like the right choice at the time.

Turns out, I was wrong.

The lemon and Manchego just didn't work for me. The flavors weren't terrible, but they definitely weren't the combination I was hoping for. In hindsight, I think the red wine vinegar would have been a much better substitute.

I'm not giving up on this one, though. I have some beautiful heirloom tomatoes sitting around that need to be eaten, and I really like the idea of this combination. So tomorrow I'm making a trip to the store for Sherry vinegar and giving it another shot.

Spanish Tomato & Cheese Salad

Recipe from Spain On A Fork

Serves 4

• 4 tomatoes
• 1/2 lbs Manchego cheese (Aged 6 months) .23 kg
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 ml
• 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar 8 ml
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano 1 gram
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley 4 grams
• pinch sea salt
• dash black pepper

Wash & pat dry the tomatoes, then cut each one into rounds that are 1/4 inch thick

De-rind the cheese and cut into slices that are 1/8 inch thick

Add the slices of tomato and cheese into a serving dish, going in order of tomato and then cheese and in a circular design

Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil into a bowl, along with 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar, finely grate 1 clove garlic, add 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, season with a kiss of sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until well mixed

Pour the dressing over the salad, serve at room temperature or add into the fridge and serve chilled, enjoy!

Cherry Tomato Salad

Sister-in-Law Janet’s tomato plants have officially entered the “please take some tomatoes” phase of summer.  Luckily for me, I was the recipient of a bowl of those gorgeous little cherry tomatoes.

I absolutely love fresh tomatoes. There’s just no comparison between a tomato picked ripe from the vine and the ones sitting in the grocery store. Store-bought tomatoes can look pretty, but that fresh-from-the-garden flavor is something else entirely.

The dressing for this salad is basically a simple vinaigrette, so nothing complicated there. I tossed the tomatoes with a Persian cucumber, and the two worked really well together. Fresh, crunchy, and exactly the kind of simple combination I enjoy.

I liked pretty much everything about this recipe with one exception: the orange zest. I didn't even use the full tablespoon called for, and it still wasn't working for me. The flavor just seemed out of place with everything else going on. If I make this again, the orange peel is definitely getting the boot. Sometimes a recipe just needs one little tweak to make it right for you. 

Cherry Tomato Salad

Recipe from Healthy Recipes Blog

Serves 4

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes - halved 
• ¼ cup green onions - chopped; green parts only

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil - extra virgin
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Your first step is to mix chopped fresh tomatoes (I usually use sliced cherry tomatoes) with chopped scallions.

The next step is to add a tasty dressing made of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and orange zest.

Mix the salad, let it rest, then serve.

Combine the tomatoes and the green onions in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, orange zest, salt, and pepper until they emulsify into a thick, velvety dressing. If the dressing seems too thick, mix in a teaspoon of water.

Pour the dressing on top of the vegetables and mix to combine.

Let the salad rest for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. This step is not mandatory but helps the flavors meld and improves the salad's flavor.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Photo from Feel
Good Foodie

I’m currently on a serious cucumber kick. They’ve become one of my favorite easy, throw-together salads lately. I make my go-to Asian cucumber salad all the time, but tonight I was serving ribs, and the Asian flavors just didn’t feel like the right match. So I switched things up and made this creamy, delicious version instead.

This salad couldn’t be easier to make, and chances are you already have most of what you need in the kitchen. I put it together about an hour before dinner. It doesn’t actually need any time to sit, but I like giving the cucumbers a little time to mingle with the dressing. You know, let everyone get acquainted before dinner.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Recipe from Feel Good Foodie

Serves 4

• ½ cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large English cucumbers thinly sliced
• ¼ red onion thinly sliced

In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, vinegar, dill sugar, and garlic powder until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Add the sliced cucumbers and red onions on top of the sour cream dressing and stir to coat.

Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Italian Grinder Pasta Salad

Lunches are hard for me. You'd think they'd be easy since I work from hom. But oddly, they are the most difficult for me to plan. Thus I usually end up winging it and that never goes well. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, so those don't always get eaten for lunch the next day (don't worry. I don't toss them. I freeze them for the Pantry Goat).

I saw a reel on Instagram of this woman making a pasta salad for her weeks worth of lunches. She loaded it up with veggies and pasta and protein. And it was an Italian Grinder pasta salad (based off the sandwich). Since I happen to love Italian Grinder sandwiches I thought I'd give this a try. 

The best part about this type of salad is you can either follow it exactly (not likely for me) or toss in what you have (more like me). I had cheese tortellini in the freezer that I thought I'd use instead of cavatappi - a decision I'd make every time. I also had whole black olives hanging out in the fridge from a recipe a week or so ago. In they go. I don't particularly care for cubed turkey so I opted to go (the less healthy route) and popped in some diced pepperoni. Again, another decision I won't regret. 

The way to make this a real salad lunch to me was the romain lettuce. That bulked it up a bit and stopped me from eating only pasta and salamis. 

Another thought I had after lunch was that the dressing - or salad - would do well with some parmesan cheese in it as well. Next time.

Italian Grinder Pasta Salad

Recipe from 12 Tomatoes

Serves 8-10

SALAD

• 1 (16 oz) box cavatappi shaped pasta, cooked and cooled
• 1 ½ cup roughly chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup assorted cherry tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup diced provolone cheese
• ⅓ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers, drained
• ⅓ cup diced salami
• ⅓ cup diced deli-style turkey

DRESSING

• ½ cup mayo
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste

In small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined.

Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Cover and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Photo from
Well Plated

I was making an Asian-inspired dinner tonight, so an Asian cucumber salad seemed like the perfect side dish. It turned out to be a great pairing and definitely didn't disappoint.

I've made several cucumber salads this year, and while they're all a little different, they have one thing in common—I love a cucumber salad with a little kick. The cucumbers combined with the sweet, tangy, and spicy dressing are always a winning combination.

The one ingredient that set this recipe apart was the addition of honey roasted peanuts. I didn't have any on hand, so I substituted dry roasted peanuts instead, and they worked just fine. I don't think the honey coating is essential; it's really the crunchy texture that takes this salad to the next level and adds a nice contrast to the crisp cucumbers.

If you're looking for a quick, refreshing side dish to serve with grilled meats, stir-fries, or any Asian-inspired meal, this one is definitely worth adding to your rotation.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Recipe from Well Plated

Serves 4

• 6 Persian or Japanese cucumbers* often labeled “mini cucumbers”
• ½ cup honey-roasted peanuts chopped
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Crushed red pepper flakes for serving
• Diced avocado optional – have been adding more often lately

Using a sharp knife or mandolin, slice the cucumbers into 1/4-inch pieces, transfer to a bowl.

Add the peanuts.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and sugar.

Add the dressing to the cucumber slices and peanuts and toss to combine. Add a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes to taste and serve.

Cucumber Salad

Photo from Home
Made Hooplah

I've been on a real cucumber kick lately. I find making these quick little salads makes getting veggies
easier. I've been making a lot of the Asian flavor salads, but for Book club tonight I figured I'd better tone it down a bit (we have a member who doesn't like spice). 

This is an old time recipe as I understand it. The Anti Spice girl in book club said they made this all the time back in the mid-West. I can see why...It's delicious.

The tang of the vinegar with just a little hint of the sweet really makes this a good vinegairette for these cucumbers. 

I used Persian cucs because those are the ones I'm addicted to now. They're like little individual cucumbers. I didn't slice them thin because I like my slices to be a bit thicker. I also didn't add all the dill. 2 tablespoons seems like WAY too much dill. 

I had vinaigrette leftover so I'll be adding some cucumbers into it for tomorrow's dinner too. 

Cucumber Salad

Recipe from Home Made Hooplah

Serves 6

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large English cucumbers, sliced thin
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half-moons

In a large bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, water, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix until sugar has dissolved.

Add cucumbers and red onion to bowl, then use a spatula to toss and mix until veggies are coated in dressing.

Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour.

Serve as desired.

Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad

Photo from CJ Eats

Our dinner club recently visited Din Tai Fung, and the BFF insisted that we order their famous cucumber salad. I'd heard people rave about it before, but somehow I'd never actually tried it myself.

One bite and I completely understood the hype.

Ever since that dinner, I've been on a mission to find a recipe that comes as close as possible to the original. I'm sure the exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but this version gets remarkably close. In fact, it's so good that I've become a little obsessed with it. By "a little," I mean I've been making it almost every single day.

The secret is taking the time to salt the cucumbers and let them rest before adding the dressing. That extra step pulls out excess moisture and keeps the cucumbers crisp. As a bonus, the salad holds up much better in the refrigerator and doesn't turn watery or slimy after a day or two.

My grand plan is to make a batch at the beginning of the week and have it ready whenever a craving strikes. So far, however, that strategy hasn't worked out very well. I've only been making single servings because I keep eating the entire bowl in one sitting.

No regrets. Burp!

Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad

Recipe from CJ Eays Recipes

Serves 4

• 1 lb cucumber, Persian or English
• 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2 tbsp chili oil
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

To prepare the Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad dressing, mix together light soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, grated garlic, chili oil, and sesame oil. Whisk them together and your dressing is ready!

Begin preparing your cucumbers by slicing them into 1/2″ rounds. Once your cucumbers are uniformly sliced, place them in a bowl and mix the cucumbers with salt, then let them sit for 30 minutes. Next, rinse off the salt and pat them as dry as possible with a kitchen or paper towel.

The salt will help to draw out excess moisture for the cucumbers through osmosis which will result in a more crisp vegetable.

Once the cucumbers are as dry as possible, add them to the dressing and mix them well to get each piece coating in that delicious dressing. Let them sit in the marinade for at least 10 minutes then stack them up and enjoy!

If you are making Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad ahead of time, make sure to transfer them into an air tight storage container up to 2-3 days in advance.

Once the cucumbers are stacked beautifully, the final step is to add an additional drop of chili oil to each cucumber for that pop of color and spice! Serve and enjoy!

Cherry Tomato Salad

Photo from The
Mom 100 Blog

This really isn’t the ideal time of year for my annual tomato salad obsession. Normally, that happens later in the summer when Seattle Sis-in-Law’s garden is overflowing and she sends me home with bags and bags of tomatoes in every shape, size, and color imaginable. Then I spend weeks happily working my way through every tomato salad recipe I can find.

This time, though, the tomatoes came courtesy of an Amazon Fresh ordering mishap. I ordered a package of tri-colored cherry tomatoes and somehow ended up with a giant container. Way more tomatoes than I could ever use in my usual side salads.

While searching for a completely different recipe, this one popped up. I’m convinced the universe was trying to tell me something. Call it fate, call it serendipity, but I took the hint and added it to the menu.

I only made one significant change: I tossed in a Persian cucumber. It seemed like the right move at the time, and after one bite, I can confidently say it was a very wise decision. The cucumber added a fresh crunch that paired perfectly with the tomatoes.

What really makes this recipe shine, though, is the dressing. It’s absolutely delicious and ties everything together beautifully. After the first bite, I immediately marked this recipe as a favorite. It’s simple, fresh, and packed with flavor—exactly the kind of recipe I’ll be coming back to again and again.

Cherry Tomato Salad

Recipe from The Mom 100

Serves 4

• 4 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• For the Dressing:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle them lightly with kosher salt and toss. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and pepper.

Drizzle over the tomatoes, add the oregano and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Summer Pea Salad

Photo from All Recipes

Sunday dinner was hosted by the Pantry Goat and her hubby this week, and the theme was salads! The funny part is that I had already chosen dessert before I knew the theme, so suddenly I found myself trying to figure out how to bring a "salad" for dessert that wasn't just another fruit salad. Somehow, I managed to pull it off.

For my savory contribution, I brought a pea salad that I've been wanting to make for quite a while. I have a vague memory of my Grandma Spaid making a pea salad with fresh peas from her garden when I was growing up. I can't say for sure that this recipe was anything like hers, but it definitely brought back those memories.

The recipe called for frozen peas, which turned out to be a good thing because I couldn't find fresh peas anywhere. They worked perfectly and kept the preparation simple.

I did have one small challenge with the dressing. The recipe called for wine vinegar, which left me standing in the pantry wondering exactly what kind they meant. Rice wine vinegar didn't seem right, and I didn't have any red wine vinegar on hand (which in hindsight is what they mean), so I substituted apple cider vinegar. It gave the dressing a little more tang than I expected, so I added a touch more sugar to balance things out. In the end, it worked just fine.

The dressing reminded me a lot of a classic coleslaw dressing—creamy, slightly sweet, and just tangy enough to keep things interesting. Combined with the peas, it made for a simple but satisfying side dish.

Overall, this is a great summer salad to bring to a potluck, picnic, or backyard barbecue. It's easy to make, travels well, and offers something a little different from the usual pasta or potato salads. Just remember that it contains mayonnaise, so don't leave it sitting out in the sun for too long!

I may or may not have a small bowl set aside to have with my lunch today.

Summer Pea Salad

Recipe from All Recipes

Serves 10

Salad:

• 2 (6 ounce) packages frozen peas, thawed
• 1 pound cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 c golden raisins
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• ½ c sunflower seeds

Dressing:

• 1 c mayonnaise
• 2 T wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp white sugar, or to taste

Toss peas, bacon, raisins, Cheddar cheese, onion, and sunflower seeds together in a large bowl. Stir mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar together in a small bowl; drizzle over the salad and toss to coat.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Thai Cucumber Salad

Phhoto from
Butter Your Biscuit

This Thai cucumber salad was the perfect side dish for a any weeknight dinner, but especially for the Red Curry Dumpling Soup I made tonight. 

Crisp cucumbers, tangy lime juice, sweet chili sauce (YUM), and crunchy peanuts come together in a way that tastes so fresh and bright. It’s one of those recipes that feels restaurant-worthy but takes almost no effort to throw together. And makes enough to have as a leftover.

The dressing is the real star here. It’s sweet, savory, a little spicy, and somehow makes plain cucumbers completely addictive. 

Thai Cucumber Salad

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit

Serves 6

• 2 English cucumbers sliced ¼ inch thin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ red onion halved and sliced ¼ inch thin
• ½ cup peanuts chopped
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 clove garlic minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste

Place 1/2 of the sliced cucumbers in a strainer and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over them, then place the second layer followed by another teaspoon of salt. Let sit for about 20 minutes, rinse, put on a paper towel, and pat dry. (This step is optional but allows the cucumbers to stay crisp longer.)

Place the sliced cucumbers, onions, peanuts, and cilantro in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl add the sweet chili sauce, honey, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and mix until combined.

Pour the sauce over the cucumbers and toss until coated. Add salt to taste.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Photo from The
Food Charlatan

Cucumbers are one of my favorite things to throw out. Honestly, I can never use up all the cucumbers and they end up going bad. So this week, I decided to try to use them all up. 

I love cucumber salads. And this one exceptionally good. The dill really added some freshness to this salad. Though, next time I'd use fresh dill. 

Asian Cucumber Salad

The Food Charlatan

Serves 4

• 1 large Cucumber, seedless English variety, very thinly sliced
• ¼ sweet onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon dill , minced & fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed

Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can without slicing your hand. Or go buy a mandolin.

Throw your tablespoon of sesame seeds into a small dry frying pan. Set over medium heat and stir occasionally until the seeds just begin to brown. You don’t want to overdo it.

Gently toss together all of the ingredients until everything is evenly coated. Put in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Marinated salads like this always improve with time, so feel free to make this ahead of time. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Gently toss again before serving.

The Best Broccoli Salad

Photo from To Simply Inspire

I think any broccoli salad is the best broccoli salad, so the title for this one is kinda a gimme. 

I needed to keep Christmas dinner low key so opted to make a simple broccoli salad. This one has a few more ingredients than my normal salad does, but I think it'll add a nice change to it. 

Turned out this was so amazingly delicious. I could have eaten the whole bowl. It'll be made again for sure. 

The Best Broccoli Salad

Recipe from To Simply Inspire

Serves 8

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

For the salad:

• ½ cup bacon bits
• 8 cups broccoli florets diced in bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup red onion diced
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoon white sugar,
• 1 cup mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup bacon bits
• 8 cups broccoli florets, ½ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup red onion,
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds

Make the dressing

In a medium bowl, add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper and mix together well. Place n the refrigerator.

Make the Salad

Add the bacon bits to a skillet or cast iron pan and cook the bacon for about 8-10 minutes until crispy.

In a large serving bowl, add the broccoli, cranberries, red onion, cooked bacon bits and sunflower seeds and toss together.

Then pour the dressing over top and stir to coat all the ingredients well.

Place in the refrigerator chill for at least 1 hour for the flavors to blend together.

Easy Cucumber Salad

Even though cucumbers make me burp, I love them. And I especially love them in a tangy vinegar. 

This recipe was a little different because of the honey and dill to me. Most my cucumber salads have some heat to them and sugar instead of honey. I liked the honey with the dill, though I thought it was going to be odd. 

Easy Cucumber Salad

Recipe from Twopeasandtheirpod.com

Serves 4

• 2 to 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey (or sugar)
• 1 large English cucumber, thinly sliced
• ¼ large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar and honey. Add the cucumber slices, onion slices, and dill. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. You can also chill for a couple of hours before serving to let the cucumbers marinate.

Chicken & Spinach Couscous Salad

Photo from Hello Fresh

This was one of those recipes where working ahead is a bad plan. I thought I'd get all the components ready ahead of time and then toss the salad together at the end. 

The chicken worked fine. I prefer colder chicken in a salad than warm chicken. 

The couscous was another story. I've never made Israeli couscous and I didn't realize just how it would turn out. I cooked it. Tasted it. Loved it. Then set it aside to cool. That was the mistake. It became like if you leave pasta in a pan after you drained it. It' got cold and a bit congealed. 

I did taste it after it was done originally and it was tasty. I now know you have to eat it right away.

The carrots were a whole other story. I burnt them! I got distracted by a big truck that was in my driveway and they burned. I tasted them and they were gross. So tossed them. 

The chicken, spinach and walnuts together with the garlic aioli was good. The aioli wasn't originally. It tasted too mayonnaise-ey. I added some real chopped garlic and a little splash of white vinegar and that made all the difference. 

I will have to make couscous again and actually eat it. Cooking it in chicken broth made sense and really added to the flavor. 

Chicken & Spinach Couscous Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1/2 oz walnuts, chopped
• 9 oz carrots, sliced on a diagonal
• 1 T fry seasoning
• 2 T mayo
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 1/2 oz spinach
• 10 oz chicken
• 2 1/2 oz Israeli couscous
• 2 chicken stock concentrates

In a small pot (medium pot for 4 servings), combine couscous, stock concentrates, 3⁄4 cup water (1 1⁄2 cups for 4), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, 12-14 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to use in Step 6.

 While couscous cooks, heat a large dry pan over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.

Wash and dry produce. • Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces. • Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for walnuts over medium-high heat. Add carrots and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 5-7 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a second plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Wipe out pan.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub all over with a drizzle of oil and Fry Seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. • Heat pan used for carrots over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. TIP: Lower heat if chicken begins to brown too quickly. • Transfer chicken to a cutting board.

While chicken cooks, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and half the garlic powder (all for 4 servings). • Add water 1 tsp a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Fluff couscous with a fork; stir in spinach and carrots until combined. • Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. • Divide couscous between shallow bowls. Top with chicken and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Drizzle with aioli and serve.

“Skip The Bun” Crunchy Cheeseburger Salad

It's hot here. The thought of turning on the stove and cooking too much didn't sound thrilling. So a salad was a perfect answer for dinner tonight. And I didn't even plan it that way. 

I've made Big Mac Salads a couple times in the past. They're pretty tasty, so this one sounded just as good. And I was not wrong. 

This is an easy one to repeat. The Fry seasoning is the only thing I'm not sure how to replicate, but garlic powder and onion powder can make it better. 

“Skip The Bun” Crunchy Cheeseburger Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 10 oz ground beef
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 c chopped dill pickles
• 1 T dill pickle brine
• 1 T Fry Seasoning [JW note: I have no idea what's actually in this]
• 2 T mayo
• 1 T ketchup
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 head Romain lettuce, chopped

Trim and discard root end from lettuce; roughly chop. 

Prep your veggies: Chop tomato, chop lettuce; chop dill pickle. 

Stir 1⁄2 tsp Fry Seasoning and 1⁄4 tsp sugar into bowl with 1 T pickle brine along with the mayo, ketchup and Dijon. Mix together and set aside.  Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef, remaining Fry Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, until browned. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out. Transfer to a plate.

In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the dressing and half the tomato. 

Divide salad between bowls. Top with beef, Monterey Jack, chopped pickle, and remaining tomato. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

Spinach Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Goat Cheese

Photo from Barefoot in the Kitchen

Sunday dinner this month is the Low Country Boil. It's one of my favorite annual dinners. This year I
opted to bring a salad. I don't often get to bring salads to Sunday dinner so it's always a treat for me. 

We have some gluten free folks that come to Sunday dinner. So I made a version for them by just omitting the orzo. Then the following day I had some leftover spinach and some left over cooked chicken, so I made the same version for me for lunch, and it really was delicious with or without the orzo.

I didn't change anything about the recipe and honestly, I can't think of a single thing I'd do different. The dressing makes enough and then some. I wouldn't recommend dumping the whole thing in at once. I did half then mixed the salad and added just a tad more. That dressing goes a long way. 

Spinach Orzo Salad with Cranberries and Goat Cheese

Recipe from Barefoot in the Kitchen

Serves 6

• 1/2 T light olive oil
• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• 4 c fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 c sliced almonds
• 1/2 c Craisins or dried cranberries
• 2-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• Optional: 2 c cooked chicken, chopped bite-size

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 c olive oil, divided
• 3 T white balsamic or champagne vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Toast the orzo in 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium heat, about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add 4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover with lid. 7-8 minutes. Drain any liquid, fluff with fork.

Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked orzo, cranberries, almonds, and cooked chicken - if desired.

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, combine the oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.

Top with goat cheese and toss lightly. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Seared Chicken & Apple Spinach Salad

It was hot today! Which was a perfect day for a simple chicken and salad. So refreshing and so delicious. 

Another simple recipe from Hello Fresh. I know I'll stumble into a not so great recipe from them, but until them I'm totally digging these meals. 

The baguette on the side was an "extra" order from them. It showed up in my box, but not on my bill, so I ate it. Well, half of it. 

If this recipe shows up again, I'll order it for lunch instead of dinner. It'd be such an easy lunch to prep with.

Seared Chicken & Apple Spinach Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 1 tablespoon Fry Seasoning
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Apple
• 2.5 ounce Spinach
• 1.5 ounce Honey Dijon Dressing 
• ¼ cup Panko
• 10 ounce Chicken Cutlets

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add panko; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3-5 minutes.

Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out pan.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle with Fry Seasoning.

Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for panko over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. 

Transfer to a cutting board.  Meanwhile, zest and quarter lemon. Halve, core, and thinly slice apple. Add as much lemon zest as you like to bowl with panko. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together dressing, a drizzle of olive oil, and juice from one lemon wedge.

 Add apple, spinach, and half the lemony panko to bowl with dressing. Toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice and season with salt and pepper if desired.

Thinly slice chicken crosswise. Divide salad between shallow bowls. Top with remaining lemony panko. Fan sliced chicken alongside salad. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Bacon, Apple, & Cheddar Spinach Salad

We went to Salty's today and had their amazing Sunday brunch buffet. It's one of those buffets where you won't eat again all day. It was still with me by dinner so I opted for this Hello Fresh salad and it was perfect. 

The combo of sweet and savory hits the spot for me. The granny smith was tart but with the honey Dijon mustard it just magically worked. I'll order this one again for sure. 

Bacon, Apple, & Cheddar Spinach Salad

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 4 oz bacon, chopped
• 5 oz spinach
• 1/2 oz walnuts; chopped
• 1 oz dried cranberries
• 1/2 c white cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 oz Honey Dijon Dressing (store bought is find)
• 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced

Get your bacon started in a pan. Cook that until its crispy. 

Get your spinach in a bowl and add the cranberries, walnuts, and cheese. Thinly slice the granny smith and add it to the bowl. When your bacon is done, put that in the salad too. 

Dress it with Honey Dijon and enjoy!