BBQ Chicken Salad

This is one of my favorite summer meals! My mom and sisters also love it and are constantly calling me for the recipe so one of the reasons I am posting it is for them. One of my sisters will be heading of to college soon and this is a simple meal that she can make while at school with limited time!

BBQ Chicken Salad
Recipe by Prescriptions for a Happy Home

Chicken:

There are several ways you can cook the chicken. I do different methods depending on the day. Our favorite way is to season the chicken with creole seasoning and pepper. My husband then grills the chicken. He grills one side of the breast and then flips over and brushes BBQ sauce on the chicken. After that side cooks, he flips it over again and brushes more BBQ sauce on it. Other variations: sprinkle creole or pepper on the chicken and cook in a George Foreman grill or pan fry it. Or marinate in BBQ sauce and pan fry the chicken.

Beans:

Turn the over to 425. Spread aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Rinse and drain the black beans. 

Try to get them as try as possible, even dabbing them with a towel if needed. Evenly spread the beans on the cookie sheet. 

Cook 5-7 minutes or until cracked and have a very slight crunch. Sprinkle with salt.

Corn:

In a frying pan, turn the heat to medium high and heat some oil. Cook the drained corn. Listen for a crackling and sizzling sound. Once the corn has turned to a golden color flip the corn over and cook until all of the pieces of corn are a golden color. Season with salt or creole or leave as is.

Assemble the salad. I like to set up a salad bar and let people make their own salad. Drizzle the top of your salad with BBQ sauce and ranch.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 hearts of romaine lettuce (chopped up)

can of corn

can of black beans

1 diced tomato

crumbled bacon

shredded cheddar cheese

Large cooked chicken breast (or 2 medium sized ones)* 

BBQ sauce

Ranch

Avocado, and tortilla strips (optional)

Directions:

Cook your chicken. I do different methods depending on the day. Our favorite way is to season the chicken with creole seasoning and pepper. My husband then grills the chicken. He grills one side of the breast and then flips over and brushes BBQ sauce on the chicken. After that side cooks, he flips it over again and brushes more BBQ sauce on it. Other variations: sprinkle creole or pepper on the chicken and cook in a George Foreman grill or pan fry it. Or marinate in BBQ sauce and pan fry the chicken.

Beans:

Turn the over to 425. Spread aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Rinse and drain the black beans. Try to get them as try as possible, even dabbing them with a towel if needed. Evenly spread the beans on the cookie sheet. Cook 5-7 minutes or until cracked and have a very slight crunch. Sprinkle with salt.

Corn:
In a frying pan, turn the heat to medium high and heat some oil. Cook the drained corn. Listen for a crackling and sizzling sound. Once the corn has turned to a golden color flip the corn over and cook until all of the pieces of corn are a golden color. Season with salt or creole or leave as is.

Assemble the salad. I like to set up a salad bar and let people make their own salad. Drizzle the top of your salad with BBQ sauce and ranch.

Enjoy!

Sweet Chili Thai Pasta Salad

Kim and I went with our families to a local pizza buffet and really enjoyed this thai pasta salad they had there. We decided we could recreate it and enhance it and that we did! I definitely prefer our version now! This dish would make a great pot luck dish or a great main dish in the summer.

Cook pasta and then run under cold water to help cool.

Prepare a pan to steam the broccoli. Once the water is boiling, add the separate steaming pot, with the broccoli, and steam for two minutes. You want the broccoli to be brightly colored, but still crisp.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, cooked broccoli, red pepper, carrots, and chicken.

In a separate small bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, and olive oil. (The olive oil is used to help thin out the sauce.

Pour the sauce into the large bowl and mix with the salad.

Chill for at least an hour. Chilling it will help the sauce not seem so spicy. If you want more spice, add sriracha or add the sauce right before serving. Top with peanuts before serving.

Sweet Chili Thai Pasta Salad
Recipe by Prescriptions for a Happy Home

Ingredients:
12 oz box of rainbow rotini
2 cups fresh chopped broccoli
1 cup diced red pepper
1 cup shredded carrot
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup of sweet chili sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. olive oil

Garnish with peanuts and green onions (optional)

Directions:

Cook pasta and then run under cold water to help cool.

Prepare a pan to steam the broccoli. Once the water is boiling, add the separate steaming pot, with the broccoli, and steam for two minutes. You want the broccoli to be brightly colored, but still crisp.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, cooked broccoli, red pepper, carrots, and chicken.

In a separate small bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, and olive oil. (The olive oil is used to help thin out the sauce.

Pour the sauce into the large bowl and mix with the salad.

Chill for at least an hour. Chilling it will help the sauce not seem so spicy. If you want more spice, add sriracha or add the sauce right before serving.

Top with peanuts before serving.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Potato Salad

Today marks 11 years since my sweet grandmother passed away.  She was an incredible woman and loved to be with her family. She passed away very suddenly when I was a sophomore in high school.  Words can't express how much I miss her.  She was truly a wonderful lady.  My grandma was an amazing cook and her potato salad came to every family get-together.  It quickly became the only potato salad I liked.  Like many great cooks, she never wrote down any of her recipes.  I decided to try to recreate her potato salad and I've spent several years making this salad over and over trying to get it just right. I've finally got it!   It tastes just like hers and takes me back to my childhood.  

With summer almost here, I hope this tasty recipe ends up at one of your barbecues!  

To make this recipe you will need: russet potatoes, hard boiled eggs, onions, dill pickles, celery, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, dill pickle juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika. 

   

Dice and boil your potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and let cool slightly until you are ready to use them.  I like to put them on a jelly roll pan and put them in the freezer for a few minutes to stop the cooking and cool them more quickly.

Remove the yolk from the hard boiled eggs and set aside.  Dice the white part of the eggs, celery, onions and pickles. 

In a medium mixing bowl mash the yolks with a fork.

Add the dressing ingredients and mix well.

Place diced veggies, eggs and potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Add the dressing and stir to combine gently.  You don't want to break up your potatoes. 

Place salad in a serving bowl and let chill for 4 hours or even overnight.  Grandma always sprinkled paprika on top.  She also would make extra hard boiled eggs into deviled eggs and place them around the edges of the bowl.  It always looked so pretty.  I didn't do that here, but you can if you like. 

Grandma's Potato Salad

Recipe by: Prescriptions for a happy home

Ingredients:

8-10 medium potatoes, (approx. 6 cups diced)

5 hard boiled eggs

1/4 c. dill pickles

3/4 c. celery

1/4 c. onion

2 c. mayo, light is fine

1/4 c. yellow mustard

2 T. dill pickle juice (from the pickle jar)

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

paprika, for sprinkling on top

Directions:
Peel and dice your potatoes.  Place in a pot and cover with water and 1 tsp. Bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Drain the potatoes and spread out onto a jelly roll pan in a single layer (as much as possible) and place in the freezer to cool.  Meanwhile, dice the celery, 3 egg whites* (set aside all 5 yolks for the dressing), onion and pickles.  In a small mixing bowl mash the egg yolks with a fork.  Add the mayo, mustard, dill pickle juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Stir to combine.   Place the diced veggies, eggs and potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Add the dressing and stir to combine gently. Place the salad in a serving bowl and let the salad chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.  Sprinkle salad with paprika before serving, if desired.  


Enjoy!

This makes about 10-12 servings.  

* I normally only diced about 3 of the egg whites.  My kids love to snack on the other two.  Make sure you use all 5 yolks in the dressing though!

Crunchy Cabbage Salad

With Spring here (hopefully to stay) and summer just around the corner I wanted to share this delicious salad recipe.  This easy salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics and even baby showers.  Sometimes I like to serve it with fried rice for a light dinner.   

To make this salad you'll need a large head of cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces.  Rinse the cabbage well and add it to a large mixing bowl. 

Next add some chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds, sliced almonds and diced chicken.

Then sprinkle the seasoning packets from the Ramen noodles over the salad.  Set aside the noodles for later. 

Mix the seasoning packets into the salad and then add the dressing and mix until combined.

If you aren't going to eat it right away, cover the salad with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.   I like to let it sit in the fridge for about four hours before serving to let the flavors develop more, but if you're short on time you can continue to the next step right away.

Right before serving, break up the Ramen into small pieces and add them to the salad along with a can of drained mandarin oranges.  I sometimes cut the mandarin oranges in half so there's more to go around.  Stir them in gently so the oranges don't break up into tiny pieces. 

Serve right away and enjoy!  The perfect spring/summer salad.

Crunchy Cabbage Salad
By: Prescriptions for a happy home

Ingredients:
Salad:
1 large head of cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
3-4 green onions, sliced
2 c. cooked chicken, diced
2 T. toasted sesame seeds*
1/4 c. sliced almonds
2 pkgs. chicken flavored Ramen noodles
1 (11oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
Dressing:
1 T. sugar
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

Directions:
Rinse the cabbage well and add to your mixing bowl.  Ad the green onions, chicken, sesame seeds and almonds.  Mix well.  Sprinkle the Ramen seasoning packets over the salad.  Mix well.  In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix until combined.  Add the dressing to the salad and stir until all of the cabbage is coated.  Place the salad in the fridge for about 4 hours to let the flavors develop.  When ready to serve, break up the Ramen noodles into small pieces and add them to the salad with the mandarin oranges.  Stir gently to combine and serve.   


*to toast the sesame seeds put them into a small, dry skillet over medium heat, stir them around until the seeds are lightly browned about 3-5 minutes