Italian Pasta Salad

1 lb. colorful bowtie pasta
1 can olives, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
Cubed cheddar and mozzarella cheese (about the same amount as the olives and tomatoes)

Mix together and add Italian dressing. YUMMY!!! (You don't need to chill this. It can be served immediately so it's a little warm or you can chill it. Either way!)

From: Laura Dieckmann

Chicken Won-ton Salad

1 head lettuce (you can do a mix of romaine & iceberg or just pick one)

Slivered almonds

Green onions

Fried won-tons

Chicken (cooked, cubed and browned in soy sauce)

DRESSING:

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

From: Heather White

CAFE RIO Salad

Here's a recipe that a friend of mine has used and swears it tastes just like Cafe Rio. I think it's too much work, it would be easier to just go get a salad from Cafe Rio, but if you're into this sort of thing, you'll enjoy this!

SWEET PORK
2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste.) If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tblsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tblsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime juice, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS
2 tblsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tblsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

CILANTRO RANCH
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Thats it!

GUACAMOLE
3 avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. diced onion
3 tblsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour for best flavor, or you can serve immediately.

Here is how to put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans. (They had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them. They look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce (we used the leafy green lettuce, not iceberg) and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). We made up some gaucamole and put some of that on the salad. We also added a little spoonful of sour cream. Add some crushed tortilla chips (we have yet to find the little tortilla strips), a shake of parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing and there you have it!

Shrimp Salad

24 oz. pkg. salad-roni macaroni. Cook to directions and rinse in cold water immediately. Take 4 cans de-veined shrimp and put in ice water for 20 minutes. Add 2 cans sliced olives. Top with dressing.

Dressing:
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayo (not Miracle Whip)

Add salt and pepper and Accent (optional) to taste. Refrigerate and enjoy!

From: Susan Taylor

Orange Fluffy Jell-O

2 small packages lemon Jell-O
2 c. pineapple juice
½ c. sugar
2 c. orange juice (cold)
4 oz. cool whip

Combine pineapple juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, then take off heat. Dissolve lemon Jell-O in pineapple juice. Add cold orange juice. Let set until soupy. Fold in cool whip. Add 2 cans mandarin oranges and 3 cut up bananas. Let set.

From: Mom

Jeweled Fruit Salad

3 small packages strawberry Jell-O
3 c. boiling water
2 c. cold water
1 can mandarin oranges, undrained
1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add cold water and stir. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Pour into 9x13” pan. Chill to firm. Can put whip cream on top if you want.

From: Alison Affeltranger

Chicken Taco Salad

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces
1 can corn
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 c. roma tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 green onions, chopped
1 head lettuce, chopped
2 c. cheddar and jack cheese

Combine ingredients.

Dressing:
½ c. rice vinegar
6 tblsp. honey
3 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Combine the dressing ingredients, blend well and chill. Add to salad just before serving. Serve with corn chips too!

From: Barbara Wood

Sarah Salad

Dressing:
¼ c. mayonnaise
¼ c. Miracle Whip
¼ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Mix well until smooth. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Salad:
1 head lettuce
½ pkg. frozen peas
2/3 c. chopped green onion
½ c. Swiss cheese, cut into strips

Mix salad together and just before serving, add dressing. Top with crumbled bacon.

From: Lion House/Mom

Potato Salad

2 c. mayonnaise
2 c. Miracle Whip
1 squirt of mustard
2 tblsp. sweet pickle juice
12 potatoes, cooked, peeled and diced
12 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 small jar sweet pickles, sliced

Mix mayo, Miracle Whip, pickle juice and mustard with wire whisk until smooth. Mix with potatoes, eggs and pickles. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Chill and serve.

From: Mom

Crown Jewel Jell-O

1 small package of each jell-o: orange, lime and strawberry
1 small package lemon jell-o
½ c. pineapple juice
½ c. sugar
2 envelopes of dream whip

Set orange, lime and strawberry jell-o’s separate with 1 c. boiling water and ½ c. cold water in pans greased with Miracle Whip. Let set and then cut into cubes. Dissolve 1 package lemon jell-o in 1 c. boiling water. Add ½ c. sugar and ½ c. pineapple juice (cold). Let set until partly jelled. Whip with beaters. Fold in 2 packages dream whip whipped to directions. Fold in jell-o cubes and let set.

From: Grandma Lancaster

Cottage Cheese Jell-O Salad

Mix cottage cheese and cool whip. Add jell-o. Add fruit and some of juice. Just be careful not to make it too runny. Mix together and let sit in fridge.

Small bowl:
2 lb. cottage cheese
8 oz. cool whip
6 oz. jell-o, dry
1 large can fruit

Large bowl:
3 lb. cottage cheese
12 oz. cool whip
6 oz. and smaller pkg. jello, dry
2 large cans fruit

Flavor combinations:
Lime Jell-o and pears
Orange Jell-o and mandarin oranges
Peach Jell-o and peaches
Raspberry Jell-o and pineapple tidbits

From: Mom

Broccoli Salad

3-4 heads broccoli florets
1/2 lb. crumbled bacon (or bacon bits)
1 c. sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1 c. mayo
1/4 c. sugar
2 tblsp. vinegar

Mix dressing, allow to stand in fridge at least 2 hours. Mix with broccoli. Add bacon and sunflower seeds. Mix and serve.

From: Paula Pack

Taco Salad

1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 head lettuce
1 lg. tomato
1 can sliced olives
1 bunch green onions (optional)
Grated cheese
Taco chips

Brown hamburger, add taco seasoning. Drain. Mix all ingredients in a big bowl, except chips. When ready to serve, add crushed chips. You can either add dressing a little at a time until desired amount, then serve, or you can let people add their own. Thousand Island is the best for this salad, but anything you like is fine.

From: Mom

Chicken Pasta Salad

2 pkg. (12 oz.) bowtie pasta, cooked
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained very well
1 c. cashews
1 c. red seedless grapes, halved
4 chicken breasts, cooked, seasoned & diced

Dressing:
1 c. mayo
16 oz. Coleslaw dressing

Mix all salad ingredients together. Add dressing. Mix well, chill & serve!

From: Heidi Jensen

Oriental Chicken Salad

1 head cabbage, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 c. diced, cooked chicken (seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 tblsp. sesame seeds
3 tblsp. slivered almonds (toasted if you want)
1 package chicken top ramen (crumbled in package before you open)

Dressing:
1 tblsp. sugar
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 tblsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. Accent (optional)
Chicken Top Ramen seasoning packet

Mix dressing together. Put in fridge to set while you make salad. Mix cabbage, green onions, chicken, sesame seeds, almonds and top ramen together in big bowl. Add dressing and mix well. Let sit in fridge all day, overnight is better. The longer it sits, the better it is!

From: Marilyn Hulet