Buffalo Chicken Salad Sandwiches

So obviously I've been terrible at adding any new recipes since my little one was born! I've been focusing a lot more on my personal family blog over the past couple of months to update all of my family and friends who live away from me. It's a private blog, so just holler if you want me to invite you!

I've got about a dozen recipes I've been meaning to add and I'm going to do my best to add them over the next few days. This is a twist on the classic chicken salad sandwich with a bit of a kick. If you like buffalo sauce or wings, you'll love this one! Neal told me he doesn't want the original chicken salad sandwich anymore.. It's just not good enough. Ha. I really liked this version for a change and will definitely be making it over and over again. (Picture courtesy of Elephant Eats)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 celery stalks, diced finely
• 1/4 cup onion, diced finely
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• sandwich buns

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Serve on buns and top with your favorite sandwich fixings (tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, etc.) Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. Serves 4-6.

Outback Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I love to have hearty salads for dinner every now and then, but I always have to make sure they are "manly" enough for my husband to eat too. Otherwise I get a few rabbit/chick food comments as we're eating, followed by a bowl of cereal or sandwich for a second meal. This one definitely did the trick! Every time we go to Outback to eat, I always get the exact same dish: 8 oz. sirloin, wedge salad with blue cheese vinaigrette, and a baked sweet potato. I love every single thing about each part of the meal, especially the wedge salad that Neal introduced me to a couple of years ago. The dressing is definitely the best part so I decided to try and recreate it. I used a skirt steak, sliced thinly but I think any type of tender, non-fatty steak would work great. You definitely don't want fat on a steak salad.. I was very impressed at how close this dressing compared to Outback's and I may have licked the remaining drops out of the bowl..

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. steak, grilled with your favorite seasonings/marinade
• I used A1 Peppercorn sauce - my absolute favorite steak sauce!
• 1 bag mixed greens/spring mix
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pecans
• Onion Strings
• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

For the Onion Strings:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix the milk and egg together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge onion slices in the milk mixture, then in the flour. Drop onions into the hot oil and let them saute, turning every 30 second to 1 minute. Remove to a paper towel when they become light brown.

For the Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:

Put all ingredients except blue cheese in a food processor/blender and blend until smooth. Add in the blue cheese crumbles and mix again.

To Assemble the Salad:

Layer the mixed greens, tomatoes and pecans on plates. Slice the steak thinly and lay on top of the greens. Top with a handful of onion strings and drizzle the vinaigrette over top. Serve immediately.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Yes, yes I know I've already posted a recipe for BBQ Chicken Salad before. And I realize that the ingredients for the salad are essentially the exact same as the other recipe, but there is one huge difference in these two salads that I couldn't resist sharing: the dressing. After all, isn't the salad dressing what ultimately makes or breaks a salad? For example, ranch made with miracle whip (aka ranch from the devil) completely and utterly ruins any salad, to the point that I literally cannot take another bite. Contrast that with this Blue Cheese Vinaigrette, delicately drizzled over crisp greens and chunks of succulent, juicy chicken pieces and you've just created a masterpiece. If you think salads are boring, just try this baby out. It will become one of your favorite meals. (Picture and recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients:

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:

• 2/3 cup olive oil


• 1/3 cup rice vinegar


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 1 tsp. garlic powder


• 2 Tbsp. peach jam


• 1 cup sour cream


• 1/2 cup blue cheese


• Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

• Mixed Greens


• Tomatoes, chopped


• Black beans, drained and rinsed


• Corn


• Diced Onions


• Cilantro


• Chicken


• BBQ Sauce

To make the blue cheese vinaigrette: Place all items into a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add in a little more olive oil and mix again.

Grill the chicken and brush each piece liberally with BBQ sauce. Cut into strips.

To plate the salads: Place mixed greens on each plate. Lay the sliced chicken on top of the greens. Top with tomatoes, black beans, corn, diced onions, and cilantro. Drizzle entire salad with blue cheese vinaigrette.

CPK's Thai Crunch Salad

A few weeks ago I went to Las Vegas for my company retreat. My mom flew out and met me here and we had a blast going shopping, eating delicious foods, and enjoying the gorgeous sunny weather. One night after a long afternoon of shopping, we stopped in at California Pizza Kitchen for dinner where I had my first experience with their Thai Crunch Salad. I have seriously been craving it ever since then and this week I decided to try and duplicate it at home. The hardest part of this recipe was simply chopping and dicing up all the ingredients for the salad, but grab somebody to help you out and this can be whipped up in no time! Don't be shaken by the long list of ingredients - most of them are common items you'd find in your kitchen and fridge. I loved the comination of flavors from the lime-cilantro dressing, the creamy peanut drizzle, and the fresh cruncy vegetables in every bite. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water again...

Ingredients:

Lime-Cilantro Dressing:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil


• 2 Tbsp. honey


• 1/4 cup rice vinegar


• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro


• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard


• 2 tsp. lime juice


• 1/4 tsp minced fresh garlic (one clove)


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter


• 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce


• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar


• 1 Tbsp. honey


• 2 Tbsp. water


• 1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce


• 1/2 tsp. minced ginger


• 1 Tbsp. chili sauce


• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Salad:

• 1-2 cups chopped red cabbage


• 2 large carrots, chopped and julienned


• 2 cups shelled edamame


• 1 cup peanuts


• 2-3 green onions, chopped


• 1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (optional)


• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped


• 1 cup rice sticks (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)


• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into thin slices


• 1 bag salad - any variety


• 1 cup spinach

Lime-Cilantro Dressing: Put all items in a food processor and mix until combined. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Spicy Peanut Sauce: Put all items in a food processor and mix until combined. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Salad: Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Pour the lime-cilantro dressing over the entire salad and mix or shake to combine. Drizzle spicy peanut sauce over the top and serve immediately.

Mango Rice Salad

This is the essence of a perfect summer dish. Light, fresh, crisp, fruity and refreshing. It's absolutely delicious by itself as a side salad, or served over grilled chicken or fish. It looked intriguing with the mango mixed with the vegetables and rice and reminded me of a rice bowl from Rumbi Island Grill. I honestly can't say anything bad about this dish. I was moaning over it the entire dinner. It is big enough to serve about 4 people but my husband I kept dipping our forks into the bowl until it was scraped clean. (Recipe and picture adapted from Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked rice, at room temperature*


• 1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 medium mango, peeled and diced


• 1/2 red pepper, diced finely


• 1/2 medium onion, diced finely


• 1 handful chopped cilantro (1/2 cup)


• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar


• 2 Tbsp. olive oil


• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice


• Salt


• Pepper

Mix together the rice, beans, mango, pepper, onion and cilantro. In a separate small bowl, mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil and lime juice until combined. Pour on top of salad and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve alone or over chicken or fish.

*I recommend cooking the rice in either vegetable or chicken broth for more flavor.

Creamy Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salad

This recipe is very similar to my BBQ Black Bean and Corn Salsa recipe I posted several months ago, but with a different sauce and a few different ingredients. I had completely forgotten about this recipe until my brother-in-law called me on Saturday and begged me to make this salad for him that night. I complied and later on that day realized I had never even posted it on my blog before! It really is absolutely delicious and can be used as a salad or, even better, as a chip dip. Ffunny enough, it tastes best with Doritos (discovered by my husband). Any flavor works great, but the Doritos really complement the light, soft flavors of the dip perfectly. This is a very healthy and fresh recipe that is perfect for a summer BBQ or family party. It literally took me 5 minutes to put this together and it was ready to eat immediately. It does taste better the longer it sits since the flavors can meld together, but it's still delicious if you're like me and can't wait a few hours to dig in.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed


• 1 large green pepper, diced


• 1 medium tomato, diced


• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped finely


• 1/2 small onion, diced (optional)


• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1/4 cup ranch dressing


• 1 tsp. cumin


• 1 Tbsp. lime juice


• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix the beans, corn, green pepper, tomato, cilantro and onion together in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients and stir into the salad until evenly coated. Add more ranch and seasonings to taste. Store in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. Serve as a side salad or as a chip dip.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Dressing

BBQ Dressing? I know it sounds weird, right? Wrong! This dressing seriously made this salad. I'm a huge fan of anything southwestern - particularly when it's loaded with black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. The ingredients in this recipe are the basic necessities for a good southwestern salad with a smooth, creamy bbq dressing loaded with flavors including cilantro and lime juice. Simple, refreshing, and healthy describe this dish perfectly. If you like filling and zesty dinner salads, you'll love this one! (Picture and recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
• 1 cup bbq sauce
• 1/2 head iceburg lettuce, chopped (or favorite kind of lettuce)
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• handful cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup buttermilk*
• handful fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/3 cup bbq sauce
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing

Salad: Mix chicken and bbq sauce together in a medium bowl. Layer lettuce and other salad ingredients in a large bowl or plate.

Dressing: Put everything in a blender and mix until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*If you don't have buttermilk on-hand, simply put a little less then 1/3 cup of milk in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix together and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or until slightly curdled.

Homemade Croutons

I have never been a big fan of croutons. They're always too crunchy and way too salty for my tastes, so I usually end up giving them to my husband while he gives he his tomatoes and cucumbers. Overall, it's a good swap! However, a few weeks ago I was making an Italian meal for dinner with a side salad. I realized I was out of the regular salad toppings such as onions, tomatoes and sunflower seeds (personal preference), so I had to come up with something that made for an actual salad rather than a bowl of lettuce. This is what I came up with. And, believe it or not, I loved them and I will I never go back to the store-bought kind. The beautiful thing about croutons is that you can put whatever seasonings you want on them and they always turn out great. I used whole grain wheat bread that I usually use for sandwiches, and it gave them a wonderful flavor and texture. However, any kind of bread will work great. (Picture courtesy of Serious Eats)

Ingredients:

• 3-4 slices bread (any variety will work great)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Seasonings (suggestions: garlic salt, pepper, sage, parsley, italian seasoning, thyme and rosemary)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dice bread up into 1-inch cubes. Drizzle the cubes with olive oil and toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle seasonings on to your taste and toss to coat. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet so all the cubes are laying flat. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until cubes are crunchy and a light brown. Cool and serve. Store leftover croutons in an airtight container to maintain crunch and freshness.

Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad

I was craving Mexican last night (go figure) but wanted something different from the regular tacos or enchiladas. I came across this recipe on Our Best Bites and was determined to try it. I changed a few things in the original recipe to make it a little creamier and more suited to my tastes and it turned out great! It was extremely healthy with a lot of fresh vegetables and high in fiber due to the black beans. The sauce was a sweet vinaigrette with a prominent lime-cilantro flavor. It's a cold pasta and would be fabulous for a meal on a hot summer afternoon with a big glass of lemonade. You can also remove the chicken and voila: a perfect side dish! My husband and I both loved it and I've been snacking on the leftovers since dinner last night. (Picture courtesy of Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1/2 lb. rotini or bowtie pasta
• 1 14-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium tomato, diced into small pieces
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• zest from 2 limes
• 1 cup cooked chicken, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing:

• 4-5 Tbsp. lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Boil pasta in salted water until cooked. While it's cooking prepare the dressing: Zest your limes and place zest in large salad bowl. Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and sugar into a blender. Process until smooth. Slowly add in canola oil while the blender is running on low, until fully incorporated. Add the mayonnaise and cilantro and mix until almost smooth, but with some chunky pieces of cilantro left.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse it with cold water to cool it off. Place the pasta in a large salad bowl with the lime zest. Add black beans, tomato, pepper, onion and chicken and mix together. Slowly pour dressing over salad and mix until all pieces are coated. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. Stir in cheese and store in the refrigerator until cold, about one hour.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings.

BowTie Chicken Pasta Salad

This is yet another amazing recipe my mom used to make growing up. I have made it several times for various events and I continually get rave reviews. This pasta salad is unbelievably simple, but so delicious. It is definitely my go-to recipe for potlucks, church parties, baby/bridal showers and any type of summer meal. The variety of ingredients make for a colorful and eye-catching display, and the creamy sauce pulls everything together perfectly. (Picture courtesy of Oh Sweet Basil)

Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz. box bow-tie pasta noodles, cooked and drained (any type of medium-sized noodle would work well here)
• 1-2 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 2 cups red or purple grapes, sliced in half
• 1 large can mandarin oranges
• 1 large can pineapple tidbits
• 1 can water chestnuts, sliced in half
• 2-3 green onions, diced in small pieces
• 1 cup cashews

Dressing:

• 1/2 bottle Kraft Coleslaw salad dressing
• 1 cup mayonnaise

Toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Mix coleslaw dressing and mayonnaise together and pour over pasta salad, stirring until evenly coated. Serve immediately or store in fridge until needed.