Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta

• 10 slices bacon

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 3 tablespoons dry ranch salad dressing mix

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper

• 1/2 cup milk, or as needed

• 1 large tomato, chopped

• 1 (4.25 ounce) can sliced black olives

• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in rotini pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain and chop.

3. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and garlic pepper. Stir in milk until smooth. Place bacon, tomato, black olives and cheese in bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Toss with additional milk if the salad seems a little dry.

Ambrosia

This is really great for summer.

3 (15-ounce) cans chunky fruit cocktail, drained
1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup sweetened flake coconut
2 bananas, thinly sliced
2/3 cup whipping cream (or may use liquid coffee creamer)
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1. Combine fruit cocktail, oranges, marshmallows, coconut, bananas and cream in large bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir in strawberries before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Macaroni Salad

 

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1/2  green or red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small carrot, shredded

2 cups real mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

 

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

2. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, celery, carrot and bell pepper.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, salt and onion powder.

4. Combine in the bowl with the eggs and vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended.

5. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Cornbread Salad

From my cousin Audrey…

•1 pkg Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
•1 cup canned green chilies, undrained
•1/8 tsp cumin
•1/8 tsp oregano
•Pinch of sage
•1 cup mayonnaise
•1 cup sour cream
•1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
•2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
•2 can whole kernal corn, drained
•3 chopped tomatoes
•1 cup chopped green pepper
•1 cup chopped green onions
•10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
•2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare corn muffin mix as directed on package; stir in the chilies, oregano and sage. Spread into a greased 8 inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. Cool.

Combine mayo, sour cream and dressing mix.

Crumble 1/2 corn bread into a 9X13 baking dish. Layer with 1/2 pinto beans, 1/2 mayo mixture, 1/2 corn, 1/2 tomatoes, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 green onion and 1/2 of the bacon and the cheese. Repeat layers. cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Thanks Audrey! If any of my cousins scattered around the country are reading this, I would love a recipe of yours to publish.

Watergate Salad

A retro recipe…

WATERGATE SALAD

1 PKG (4 SERVING SIZE) Jello Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup minature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 3/4 cup Cool Whip (purists may use real whipped cream)

Mix pudding together with the pineapple. Fold in Cool Whip, then fold in marshmallows and nuts.

Creamy Lemon Jello

I haven’t had any of this in a long time. I love it. You can make it with lime jello instead of lemon if you like.

•1 (3 oz) pkg lemon jello
•1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese (softened)
•1 (16 oz) can crushed pineapple (undrained)
•1 small pkg chopped pecans
Mix jello according to directions. Let it partially set up. Mix with electric mixer, cream cheese and crushed pineapple. Fold into jello and sprinkle with pecans. Let set up in refrigerator.

Mandarin Orange Salad

•1 small pkg orange jello
•1 small pkg vanilla pudding (the kind you cook)
•1 small pkg tapioca pudding (the kind you cook)
•3 cups water
•1 large can crushed pineapple (drained)
•1 large can mandarin oranges (drained)
•1 – 12 ounce container cool whip
Place jello and the two boxes of pudding in a saucepan with the 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat until it starts to thicken, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and cool in fridge. Add fruit to the cooled mixture. Fold in Cool Whip and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

**I love this stuff.

Layered 24 Hour Salad

I love this salad but I hate to make it. Everytime we would have a family get together I would always ask my daughter to bring it.

•1/2 head of lettuce, rinsed and patted dry then shredded
•whole green pepper (seeded and diced)
•2 stalks celery (diced)
•1 small onion (diced)
•frozen green peas about 1 cup
•1 cup sour cream
•1/2 cup mayonnaise
•8 ounce package shredded cheddar cheese
•1 cup crumbled cooked bacon (cooked crisp)
•Seasoned croutons

Use 13X9 glass dish. Put the lettuce in first. Layer the next ingredients in order given. Top with the shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon. Mix the sour cream and mayo and spread over the ingredients in the dish. Top with the seasoned croutons. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight

5 Cup Salad

From my cousin Eileen.

•1 cup chunk pineapple drained
•1 cup angel flake coconut
•1 cup miniature marshmallows
•1 cup sour cream
•1 cup mandarin oranges drained

Mix all ingredients together and chill overnight.

***When I make this I usually add 1 red apple (thoroughly rinsed and dried; leave peeling on) cut into chunks and 1 sliced banana. Thus my salad becomes 7 cup salad.