In need of a main dish salad.......

[Oney]

that isn't Chicken Salad, Taco Salad, or Chef Salad. Any ideas? Kid friendly would be helpful as well as economical. I know. Tall order to fill. :perplex:

[Tami in IA]

My kids don't care for this but others might.;)

Cheese Tortellini Salad

9oz Cheese Tortellini cooked (I buy frozen)
Fresh Basil chopped
1C or more chopped cherry tomatoes
Zesty Italian dressing drizzled over ingredients

Mix and serve warm or chilled.:yum:

[Oney]

Tami, that sounds absolutely delicious to me, but I'm afraid my kiddos are like yours. :eyes: They don't appreciate a good pasta dish with fresh veggies!
I'll keep your recipe though. Thanks.

[Alicia]

Oney....those were the three salads I was going to suggest. :)

[Oney]

Oney....those were the three salads I was going to suggest. :)


:roflol: Yeah, it's stumping me too. :unsure:

[Jamie S]

My kids like this one. They are huge shrimp fans!

Shrimp Pasta Salad

1 lb. salad shrimp or more if you like
2 cups elbow macaroni cooked according to package directions
2 ribs celery - chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup sliced olives (I leave these out but hubby loves them)
optional: chopped red pepper or pimentos
3/4 to 1 cup mayo
1 T. lemon juice
salt and pepper

Combine the mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Add everything else and stir until coated. You can adjust the mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper to suit your taste. Make the day before since this tastes even better the next day.

You can serve with crackers, garlic bread, side salad, etc.

Hope it helps!

[Michele WV]

steak salad? stretches the steak over a few people ( just slice it up over mixed greens) and add bleu cheese for those who'll eat it.

you also might do a search on top secret recipes or copycat to look for salads that are offered on various restaurant menus and try to modify them for home consumption.

we also like panzanella if you have a lot of tomatoes ( or tomato eaters) it's mostly toasted bread cut in chunks, chopped tomatoes, basil, feta cheese, purple onions and an olive oil based dressing ( i usually use oregano and lemon juice).

[Kendall in GA]

:hi: Oney,

Would a cobb salad work? :unsure:

What happens if your dc don't like what you've prepared???...Do you only cook things that they like???

[Robin in Colorado]

Here is my fave main dish salad.

I use a *large* clear pyrex cake pan, and put all my greens in it (first, I have stirred in finely chopped onion and red pepper).

I have on hand the following: 2 colors of shredded cheese, 3 kinds of deli lunch meat (turkey, ham, roast beef) that is sliced paper thin, chopped avocado, chopped red pepper, chopped tomatoes. Stir together the chopped veggies, and chop up your deli meat.

Now, on top of the greens, "stripe" the meat in thick stripes from short side to short side of the pan. You will have 3 thick "stripes" of meat.

Between two stripes of meat, sprinkle a "dividing line" of one color of cheese; repeat this with the other color of cheese and the other stripes of meat.

Finally, sprinkle the chopped veggies all around the edges, generously. Garnish with chopped egg and bacon bits if desired, and serve with Honey Mustard dressing.

ETA: I call this "Spring Salad" because it has become a tradition to serve it for dinner the first day of spring. Also, this is hard to describe w/o a visual... I hope it made sense. My dc love it!

[Amanda in RI]

How about a Mandarin Pasta Salad? It has spinach, chicken, pasta, mandarin oranges, cucumber & red onion with a fantastic dressing. If you want, I'll post it.

xoxo
Amanda

[Carrie Bozeman]

My dad always made a cold bow tie pasta salad with mayo, salt & pepper, flaked tuna and frozen green peas. I think he probably put chopped raw onion in it for himself, but pulled some for me before the onion. I remember really enjoying it as a kid. In fact, I haven't had it in at least 10 years...I might have to make it soon. Sounds yummy to me. :yum:

[Kendall in GA]

How about a Mandarin Pasta Salad? It has spinach, chicken, pasta, mandarin oranges, cucumber & red onion with a fantastic dressing. If you want, I'll post it.

xoxo
Amanda

Yum! :yum: That sounds delicious!!

I'd love it you would post it when you get a minute...I'd particularly love the dressing....I could wing the rest. ;)

[kimintx]

How about Cornbread salad? I know, it sounds strange, but it is :yum: .

2 pkg. Mexican cornbread mix
1 (12 oz.) pkg. fried bacon
1c. chopped bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped green onion
1 c. chopped celery
2 large diced tomatoes
1 c. mayonnaise
salt and pepper

Bake cornbread according to directions and cool. Crumble cornbread and bacon in large bowl. Mix in vegetables, salt and pepper with cornbread. Add mayonnaise and stir. Good with fresh peas or beans.

[Amanda in RI]

Dressing:
1 teaspoon finely chopped, peeled fresh gingerroot
1/3 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix
2 teaspoons sugar
1 garlic clove, pressed

Salad:
8 ounces uncooked bow tie pasta
1/2 cucumber, scored, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach leaves
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, drained
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. For dressing, finely chop gingerroot using Food Chopper. In Small Batter Bowl, combine gingerroot, vinegar, orange juice, vegetable oil, sesame oil, soup mix, sugar and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; whisk until well blended. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.

2. For salad, cook pasta according to package directions in Professional (8-qt.) Stockpot; drain and rinse under cold running water using large Colander. Place pasta in Simple Additions™ Large Bowl.

3. Meanwhile, score cucumber using Lemon Zester/Scorer; remove seeds using The Corer™. Slice cucumber using Ultimate Slice & Grate; cut slices in half. Dice bell pepper using Chef’s Knife. Coarsely chop onion using Food Chopper.

4. Add cucumber, bell pepper, onion, spinach, mandarin oranges, chicken and almonds to pasta. Pour dressing over salad; toss using Bamboo Spatula Set. Serve immediately. Yield: 12 servings

Nutrients per serving (11/2 cups): Calories 210, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 11 g, Sodium 210 mg, Fiber 2 g

Pampered Chef

[Oney]

:hi: Oney,

Would a cobb salad work? :unsure:

Isn't a cobb salad a chef salad without the ham? :lol: :perplex:



What happens if your dc don't like what you've prepared???...Do you only cook things that they like???

1) they have 2 choices: take it or leave it :lol: (If I'm in a particularly good mood I'll let them make a pb&j if they don't like what I've made)

2) I try to make things that everyone likes but sometimes that just isn't possible. Ethan doesn't like spaghetti of any kind but Eli loves it so I choose to make spaghetti when Ethan is with my mom and dad for the weekend or something.

I try not to make things I know someone doesn't like just out of respect for that person. There is something disheartening about sitting down to a meal in your own home with a grumbly tummy and finding out it's something you really don't like the taste of, kwim?


I do scoop out some chili for the boys before I put the tomatoes in because I know they don't like tomatoes much like Carrie's dad ;) did for her and his onions. :hi: Carrie :)


I like the idea of a steak salad with bleu cheese. A pasta/tuna/peas salad sounds pretty good too and I bet they would like that.


I'd also like to have your recipe Amanada for the mandarin pasta salad. :yum: