Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Southwestern Potatoes

Southwestern Potatoes

Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This was so, so, so good. A nicely breaded eggplant baked with sauce and cheese, and the best part about it is that EVERYthing is baked in the oven. No breading the eggplant and pan-frying it on the stove so that you are splattered with oil. It's a little time-consuming just based on the bake time, but it's totally worth it.

I halved the whole recipe to make dinner for Chuck and I and there were tons of leftovers. We each ate ONE of those stacks below as our whole dinner, plus a green salad. The only change I made from the original recipe from Bite This! besides the amounts was not to add the last layer of cheese after uncovering the dish. Since I was only making it for a weeknight dinner, I didn't feel that we needed MORE cheese; but if I was making this for a dinner party I think it would be delicious. I will definitely be making this again in the future, and can't wait to serve it to company!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Mother's Day Dinner 2011

This year for Mother's Day, Chuck and I had our families over for dinner to celebrate. I enjoyed spending my second Mother's Day with Abbie as well as with my fantastic mother and fabulous mother-in-law. I wanted dinner to be easy to put together beforehand and asked all the siblings to help with appetizers and dessert. Everyone brought something delicious and we all had a good time eating, drinking, and blowing bubbles with Abbie. :)

Mother's Day Dinner 2011

Appetizers

• Brie-stuffed mushrooms


• Spinach artichoke feta dip with pita chips


• Bacon appetizer crescents


• Assorted cheese and cracker platter

Dinner

• Grilled chicken with barbecue sauce or honey dijon marinade


• Cavatelli salad with artichokes and goat cheese


• Southwestern layered cornbread salad (without the chicken)


• Zucchini and yellow squash gratin
  

Dessert

• Bakery cupcakes


• Cookies and cream cheesecakes


• Assorted cookies

Parmesan Rosemary Breadsticks

This is a nice little appetizer to put with an antipasto platter or a nice little side dish to put with soup or salad. It's very easy and quick since it uses refrigerated breadstick dough and develops a nice flavor from the rosemary and Parmesan.


I got this recipe at a cooking class I attended a few years ago so I have no way to cite this or give credit for this recipe. Just know that it's not mine but I use it a lot!

Parmesan Rosemary Breadsticks
from unknown source
Makes about 24 breadsticks

1 package Pillsbury breadstick dough (12 breadsticks)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a two heavy baking sheets with nonstick foil, parchment paper, or cooking spray.

Combine the grated cheese and rosemary on a large, shallow plate. Set aside.

Lay the breadsticks out on a work surface and cut each in half lengthwise, to make 24 long strips. Lightly brush olive oil over the strips; place strips in cheese mixture and turn to coat both sides. Then roll the strips with your palms on the work surface or between your hands to incorporate the cheese mixture into the dough. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all strips (12 on each baking sheet).

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately. If you need to make these ahead, prepare through placing them on the baking sheet and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Chicken and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad

Another delicious and easy-to-prepare pasta salad that you can serve by itself for a light lunch or paired with something from the grill for dinner. And the dressing for this consists mainly of Ranch dressing, so that makes it even easier! Although I suppose if you love blue cheese as much as I do you could double up on the flavor and use that dressing as well.

If you are serving this in several different installments, make sure to only add the spinach to the part you will be eating. It wilts rather fast in the dressing so add only a half hour or so before serving. Enjoy!

Chicken and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad

slightly adapted from Big City Cooking

Makes about 8 side dish servings

8 ounces medium pasta shells

2 medium chicken breast (about 1 pound), cooked and shredded

5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, or 1/2 cup REAL Bacon Bits

1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup (light) ranch dressing

2 tablespoons mayo

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cool water.

In large bowl, mix together pasta, chicken, bacon, and tomatoes. Pour dressing over mixture, add mayo and toss until coated. Fold in cheese. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Gently toss in spinach about a half hour before serving.

Tomatoes stuffed with Roasted Corn Salad

This was a delicious, summery side dish. The great flavors of summer corn mixed with salty bacon and feta cheese, all stuffed into a ripe, juicy tomato. Make this now before some of the ingredients are out of season!

If you are making this out of corn season, you can saute some frozen corn with a little bit of olive oil on the stovetop. Heat the oil on high heat and add the corn right out of the freezer (and some minced garlic too, if you want) and let cook until the kernels start turning brown on the edges. And if you don't have time to fry up bacon, Real Bacon Bits can be used as a substitute.

Grilled shrimp and sliced avocado went nicely with this dish. I didn't change anything else from the original recipe on Macaroni and Cheesecake so here's the link!

Tomatoes stuffed with Roasted Corn Salad

Asian Couscous Salad

Another winning recipe from Aggie's Kitchen! Abbie has had a lot of visitors lately, and of course I like to provide everyone something to eat! We all know my love for summer salads, and this one fit the bill for a easy-to-prepare lunch. I served it alongside some chicken salad and crackers and it was a a delightful little meal.

The only change from the original recipe was to substitute sesame oil for the hoisin sauce. And if you use regular couscous instead of whole wheat; use 1 cup of water to 1 cup couscous. Otherwise, I would recommend making it exactly as you see it here (plus, her pictures are a lot prettier!):

Asian Couscous Salad

Lemony Orzo Salad

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know I am a huge fan of making pasta salads during the summer. They are so easy to prepare in advance, and when I am serving a group of guests, I love just taking it out of the refrigerator and putting it on the table when we are ready to eat.

I love to use orzo for a nice light pasta salad - a little bit goes a long way and it can be combined with virtually everything! All amounts of the add-ins are approximate - add more or less of whatever you'd like! This particular salad has great flavors, with the lemony vinaigrette paired with fresh veggies and salty olives and feta cheese. Yum!

Lemony Orzo Salad

adapted from Cooking Light, found on Aggie's Kitchen

Makes 8+ servings

3/4 pound uncooked orzo

1 medium zucchini, diced.

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil

6 tablespoons good quality olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/3 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olived, sliced in half lengthwise

Cook the orzo according to package directions to al dente. Drain well and rinse with cool water.

Combine orzo, zucchini, and onion in a large bowl; toss well. In a small bowl, whisk together parsley and next 5 ingredients (through pepper).

Stir into orzo mixture; add tomato, cheese, and olives, tossing gently to coat. Refrigerate 4-24 hours.

Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Potato Salad with Warm Pancetta Dressing

Whew, can that name get any longer? It's fitting though, because this potato salad is chock full of delicious flavors - you can't pick just one to put in the title! I have been looking into making a warm, non-mayo based potato salad for awhile now; because I know some people don't like mayo, and the concept of a warm salad with a vinegar-y dressing sounded very interesting.

And I am glad I chose this one to start with. I made a lot of modifications because I felt like so much more could be done with the original recipe. If you can't find pancetta, you can certainly use the same amount of bacon; just don't cook it originally in the tablespoon of butter. There is enough fat in the bacon itself, and just add the missing tablespoon of butter in with the rest of it.

Also, I have found that goat cheese has a very low melting temperture, so add it once everything has cooled slightly if you want to keep the crumbly texture. I can't wait to make this again soon!

Goat cheese and red pepper potato salad with Warm pancetta dressing

adapted from Food & Wine

Makes 6-8 side dish servings

2 pounds fingerling or Yukon Gold new potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces thickly sliced pancetta or bacon, cut into 1/4" dice

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespooons sherry vinegar (balsamic is fine)

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

4 ounces goat cheese crumbles (or a 4 ounce log, crumbled by hand)

Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook over high heat until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat (just heat the skillet if you are using bacon). Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes (then drain the fat if using bacon). Add the remaining tablespoons of butter, stirring occasionally, and cook until pancetta is cooked through and butter is just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes or until shallot is translucent. Remove from heat.

Whisk the vinegar and the mustard into the pancetta mixture, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to the potatoes, red peppers, basil and goat cheese (once cooled slightly) and gently toss until evenly coated. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Beach Bread

This appetizer was a hit at my mother-in-law's birthday dinner this past weekend. To be honest, you can't really go wrong with buttery bread topped with diced tomatoes and melted cheese! I can't wait to make this down the shore for happy hour!

I sliced my bread a little differently from the pictures on Melissa's site, so make sure to check out the link to see the variation. We also loved this so much that I made this again with different flavors last night to go with a spinach salad so my own variation on the dressing and cheese is in parentheses - you can really mix and match depending on your tastes! Amounts are approximate, I didn't really measure anything, just made sure I had enough to cover the surface of the bread.

Beach Bread
from Delicious Melicious
Makes about 8 appetizer servings

1 large loaf French bread
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/3 cup blue cheese dressing (or three-cheese ranch dressing)
1 large tomato, diced or 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or three-cheese italian)

Preheat the broiler to high.

Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Butter the inside surface of the bread. Place on a baking sheet under the broiler until slightly toasted (be careful, this happens fast!).

Remove from oven and drizzle the dressing over both halves. Spread evenly with a knife. Top with diced tomatoes and then cover with shredded cheese.

Put back under broiler until cheese is melted and just beginning to turn brown. Cool slightly (so you can slice it), cut into appetizer-sized pieces and serve immediately.

Mediterranean Tortellini Salad

Yeah, I know...ANOTHER pasta salad. It saves me from having to think about what to make for lunch all week, what can I say? I made a lot of changes to the original recipe with this one - to me, that's the fun of pasta salads - you add what you have on hand and change things according to your tastes.

In the recipe below, I doubled the dressing amounts that I used for you, because I found it very dry. But I am also known to pile on the dressing, so halve it again to get back to the original amounts if you wish. Oh and just a word about the green beans - if you are making this to save for a few days, just be aware that the beans will lose their bright green color after a day or two - but they are still good!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

inspiration from Southern Living

Makes 8-10 side dish servings

2 (13 ounce) packages frozen cheese tortellini

1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

1/4 cup light mayo
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (or Italian seasoning)
1/2 cup good quality olive oil

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

2 tablespoons sweet onion, minced

feta cheese (I didn't use this, but think it would be really good)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package direction, 8-10 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the green beans to the water. Drain and rinse pasta and beans with cold water.

Whisk together mayo, red wine vinegar, and herbes de Provence in small bowl. Continue whisking and add olive oil until emulsified.

Transfer pasta and beans to a large bowl. Add red peppers, olives, minced onion, feta cheese if using, and dressing. Toss gently until dressing is evenly distributed.

Chill for 4-24 hours. Mix in fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Greek Orzo and Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette

I found this recipe last summer pre-blog and fell in love with it. Like, loved it so much that I have been WAITing for the perfect warm weather occasion to make it again. Memorial Day happened to be perfect for it and I made enough on purpose so that I could eat it (sans shrimp) the rest of the week for lunch!

If you like, you can make the orzo salad beforehand, chill, and just bring it to room temperature before grilling the shrimp and serving. And the original amounts will give you WAY more than 4 servings, especially if you are serving it as a side dish.

I didn't really change anything from the original recipe, except for leaving out the green onions, so I will just link you to it here on the Food Network. Get ready to enjoy a delicious, summery pasta salad complete with a perfect mustard-dill and feta flavor!

Greek Orzo and Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette

Tortellini Salad, but not

This pasta salad comes from Brooke, who makes it with tortellini. But tortellini can be filling, as well as more expensive than a regular box of pasta, so when I needed to make this in a large quantity I chose to use campanelle.

It was really delicious and the great thing with this recipe is that you can switch out ingredients for ones you like more, use a different dressing, or change the pasta shape to your liking!

Tortellini Salad, but not

slightly adapted from ...and a cookie for dessert

Makes 8-10 side dish servings

2 bags frozen cheese tortellini or 1 pound pasta (campanelle)

1 small can sliced black olives, coarsely chopped

7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped

6.5-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped

8 ounces sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Toss pasta in a large bowl with olives, peppers, and artichokes. Toss with dressing and Parmesan cheese. Cover and chill for 1-4 hours. Add mozzarella, gently combine, and add more dressing if necessary. Chill until ready to serve.

Smoky Grilled Red Potato Salad

The only reason I ever hesitate to make potato salad is because of the time it takes to boil the potatoes. I feel like I sit there forever to wait for the water to boil, then wait the 15-20 minutes they take to cook, constantly testing if they are finished, then wait to cool and chop, etc. etc. So when I was thinking up a potato salad to bring to my parents' house this past weekend, I decided to go with grilled potatoes.

I spoke with my trusty grill expert (Chuck) and he said grilling potatoes was a snap and he would be happy to help me out. I am happy I did this because it gave the salad great flavor. The pictures don't really do it justice but combined with the barbeque sauce I used in the dressing, this was a delicious twist on the regular potato salad I usually make. Kind of like a delicious variation of a loaded baked potato - enjoy!

Smoky Grilled Red Potato Salad

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes about 8 side dish servings

about 2 pounds red potatoes

olive oil

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 cup low fat mayo

1 tablespoon barbeque sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's)

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

2 ounces REAL Bacon Bits (1/2 of a 4-ounce bag)

1 cup coarsely shredded cheddar cheese

Thickly slice scrubbed potatoes and quarter each slice. Toss in a bowl and lightly coat with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and gently mix to combine.

Combine mayo, barbecue sauce, and salt and pepper in a large bowl; set aside.

Heat the grill to medium-high. Lay potatoes on a piece of non-stick foil and place directly on the grill. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning potatoes so that they cook evenly on both sides. You will know they are finished when they look golden-brown and crispy.

Transfer potatoes to the large bowl with mayo mixture. Gently toss until combined. Once the potatoes have cooled a little bit (so that cheese doesn't melt), add green onions, bacon bits, and cheese; mix again.

Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

My friend Jenny makes this wonderful salad and as soon as I had some at her house, I needed the recipe! I really like it because you can use any kind of corn you would like. I used frozen, since I was making it quickly, but you can also boil or grill some fresh ears of corn and use the kernels from that. Canned corn will work also.

I love the lime taste in the dressing and I used olive oil instead of the vegetable oil that Jenny suggested since I prefer that taste in a dressing. If you are making this ahead of time, add the avocado right before serving or else it may turn brown. Enjoy this summer salad!

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
from Jenny :)
Makes about 4 side dish servings

10 ounces frozen corn, thawed completely
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Combine corn, tomatoes, scallions in large bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour over vegetables. Chill for 1-4 hours.

When ready to serve, add gently fold in avocado and allow salad to come to room temperature. Season again with salt and pepper if needed.

Sauteed Zucchini and Tomatoes

My mom has been making this wonderful side dish for as long as I can remember. It's simple to make, doesn't need the oven in case you have other things baking in there, and is a way of getting your vegetables along with some cheese! I had an extra regular tomato that I used in these pictures, but I recommend using cherry or grape tomatoes, they keep their shape much better while cooking.

The ingredient amounts below are enough for Chuck and I to have a large serving each, so just double, triple, or more for a larger crowd. I wouldn't recommend making this in advance, because it will most likely get soggy while waiting in the refrigerator.

Sauteed Zucchini and Tomatoes

from Jo's Kitchen

Makes 2 servings

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, cut into approx. 1/4"-1/2" slices

a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in halves

1/2 cup (approx.) shredded mozzarella cheese

kosher salt and coarse ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, season with salt and pepper. Let cook until golden brown on one side, about 3-5 minutes then flip and cook on the other side, 3-5 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and heat through. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and heat until cheese melts. Season again with salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

I started this blog late in the summer last year, so a lot of you may not know that I am obsessed with pasta salad, especially in the warm weather. I would eat it for lunch, snack, and dinner if I could (and sometimes I do!). There are just so many different variations, and it's the perfect dish to take to almost any get-together.

I have so many recipes in my files for new pasta salads to try, but sometimes the best ones just come out of what I have leftover in the refrigerator. I had everything but the olives for this one, and it turned out really delicious. You will see that I used shredded mozzarella cheese instead of cubes, because I have found that when I use mozzarella cubes, especially in something like pasta salad where it needs to sit and chill before serving, the cheese becomes mushy and loses it shape.

As with all pasta salads, adjust the amounts of the ingredients to your tastes, and the amount of dressing you use is subjective, depending on how you like it!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

from Colleen's Kitchen

makes about 4 servings

8 ounces rotini pasta

2 ounces pepperoni, sliced and quartered

4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

2.25 ounce can sliced black olives, drained

6 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

4 ounces sun-dried tomato dressing, plus more to taste

grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, add rotini and cook until al dente 8-9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water. Add back to pasta pot.

Add remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese, toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Before serving, season to taste with Parmesan and more dressing if needed.

Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini Sticks

When I choose appetizers to serve at a get-together, I often turn towards the hot dips or something heavy with carbs and/or cheese (who doesn't like that, right?). So when I was planning my Pizza Night menu, I knew that I wanted to do something a little lighter since the actual meal was basically carbs and cheese itself!


These little guys popped up in my Google Reader and they looked perfect - veggies PLUS served with a tomato-based sauce to fit into the pizza theme. They were a great little snack coated with bread crumbs and cheese (ok so I can't totally get away from that!). The only things I would do differently next time is season the zucchini more before coating them and drizzle with a little olive oil before baking so they don't turn out as dry.


Parmesan-Coated Zucchini Sticks
slightly adapted from For the Love of Cooking via Closet Cooking
Makes 4-6 appetizer servings


1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pound zucchini (about 2 large)
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg (lightly beaten)
olive oil
marinara sauce, either store-bought or homemade


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.


Slice the washed zucchini into wedges, then pat wedges dry so all excess moisture is removed. Season zucchini liberally with salt and pepper.


Mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and oregano in a shallow bowl. Place egg in another shallow bowl. Dip zucchini in the egg, then the bread crumb mixture, place on baking sheet.


Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce.