Summer Salad Swap: Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Welcome to the 2013 Summer Salad Swap!
I am excited to share one of my go-to summer salads.

Here is what you need:

 3-4 pounds of small red potatoes (cut into quarters)

2 cups (1 pint) of sour cream ( I use light)

2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use light)

1 T black pepper 

1 T Lawry's seasoning salt

1 T garlic powder

1 lb. bacon, cooked and chopped

4-5 green onions, diced

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

 Directions:
 Cut up your red potatoes into quarters (leave skin on)

 Boil your potatoes until cooked (about 30 minutes)

 While your potatoes are being boiled, cook your bacon.

I cook my bacon in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

 Then I let the bacon cool on paper towels.

 After bacon is completely cooled, chop up and set aside.

 While the potatoes & bacon are cooking, I prep the rest of the dressing.
 Combine mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, Lawry's seasoning salt & pepper:
 Dice up your green onions.

 Add the green onions to the dressing.

 Stir together & put dressing in the fridge.

 When your potatoes are done cooking (test with a fork to make sure potatoes are tender). When done, drain potatoes.

 Put potatoes into your serving bowl and let cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

 Once potatoes are chilled,  add the dressing, the diced bacon & shredded cheddar cheese to the potatoes. Stir until fully coated.

 You can serve your salad then, or put back in fridge until you are ready to serve it.
This salad is perfect to make the night before.

 It is a fun alternative to traditional potato salad. 

SO good.
 Enjoy!

If you have a great Summer Salad Recipe, Grab a Button and add your recipe to the linky below.

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You can add your recipe anytime from now until next Monday!
And, be sure and check out the other recipes that are linked up!

3rd Annual Summer Salad Swap!

 I don't know about you, but during the summer, we mostly grill or BBQ for dinner and I make a yummy salad to go with it. 

Here are some of my favorite salads that are staples in our house:

Taco Salad

Brocolli Salad

Shrimp Orzo Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Tortellini Pasta Salad

 

The past 2 years I have done a Summer Salad Recipe Link up, and you guys have posted so many yummy salads! I always love getting new ideas from you. You can never have too many salad recipes, am I right?

The 3rd Annual Summer Salad Swap will be a week from today, July 30th. 

Link up your favorite summer salad recipes and come check out what other people share!

{You can grab a button on the side bar or here:}

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 I can't wait to share another yummy salad with you!

Hint: It has bacon in it. YUM.

I hope you will join in!

Summer Salad Swap: Shrimp Orzo Salad

Welcome to the 2012 Summer Salad Swap!

I am sharing one of my favorite salad recipes that we make all the time!
We even served it at my sister's Baby Shower last weekend!
It is easy, healthy & delicious!
Here is what you need for:
Shrimp Orzo Salad

• 1 box Orzo
• 1 lb shrimp
  
• 3-4 stalks celery
• 3-4 green onions
• Champagne Dressing ( I always use Girards Light Champange)

Directions:
Cook Orzo according to package directions.

While orzo is cooking, slice your green onions:

And, dice your celery:

For the shrimp, I buy a 1 lb. bag of frozen shrimp, with the tail off.
**Make sure you buy the bag with the tail off!***
You can also buy fresh from the seafood counter, but the frozen bag is less expensive.
You can thaw the frozen bag in your fridge overnight or you can thaw the shrimp while your orzo is cooking in a bowl of cold water.
Once your orzo is done cooking, drain it.
Add the orzo to a salad bowl & then add the celery, green onions & shrimp:

Toss the salad with about 1/2 the bottle of salad dressing.

Cover the salad & refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours.
Once you are ready to serve, add a little bit more salad dressing.
Viola! Super easy salad that is healthy & delicious!
It is a refreshing salad & the light version of the dressing doesn't skimp on flavor at all!

This is the perfect salad to have on hot summer nights because it doesn't require using the oven.
I usually serve this as the main part of dinner & sometimes I will make a fruit salad to go along with it. It is really filling.
If you don't like shrimp, you could use diced chicken or avocado (or both!)

If you have a great Summer Salad Recipe, Grab a Button and add your recipe to the linky below.
You can add your recipe anytime from now until next Friday!
And, be sure and check out the other recipes that are linked up!

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Summer Salad Swap: Broccoli Salad

Welcome to the Summer Salad Swap!
I am sharing one of my favorite salad recipes that we make all the time!
This is my mom's recipe and is also a staple in our house during the summer months.
We have had it 2 times this week already!

Broccoli Salad

Here is what you need:

Broccoli Florets (I use bagged Broccoli most of the time)
Bacon
Red Cherry Tomatoes
Yellow Cherry Tomatoes (when in season)
Red Onion (I used the pre-chopped red onion because my eyes are SO sensitive to cutting onions)

Wash & Rinse Broccoli Florets and put in salad bowl.

Chop Tomatoes in half:

Now for the Bacon. I use about 8 slices of bacon.
And, I cook my bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven.
So much easier than cooking it in a pan!
I line my cookie sheet with parchment paper.

I bake my bacon at 425 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
Every oven is different. I check mine at 10 minutes & cook it longer if it isn't as crispy as I like it.

Yum. Bacon.

I let the bacon cool for about 10 minutes before I chop it up:

While your bacon is cooking, I make the dressing.
Here is what you need for the salad dressing:

1 cup Mayo
1/4 cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
Dash of Salt & Pepper.

Whisk all the Dressing Ingredients together.
**Note about the Dressing - Depending on how large you make your salad, you may need to adjust the measurements of the dressing. I like my Broccoli Salad to be lightly coated, not soaked in dressing.**

Add the tomatoes, red onion & bacon to the salad bowl.
Chill Broccoli Salad & Dressing (separately) in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Toss & Coat with Dressing about 15 minutes before you serve it.

If you have a great Summer Salad Recipe, Grab a Button and add your recipe to the linky below.
And, be sure and check out the other recipes that are linked up!


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Summer Salad Swap

One of my favorite things about summer is that we BBQ all the time & rarely use my stove or oven (unless I am baking)!

Our summer menu looks a little this:
BBQ Chicken
Tri-Tip/Steak
Salmon or Tilapia grilled on the BBQ
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Hot Dogs
Hamburgers
Taco Salad
Chicken Apple Sausages
Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

With each of these meals, I make a salad to go with it.
{Mixed Green Salad with Dried Cranberries, Mandarin Oranges & Sugared Pecans}

I have a handful of salads that I rotate through.....
Pasta Salad, Orzo Salad, Caprese Salad, Green Salads, Brocolli Salad, Spinach Salad, etc.
{Spinach Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing}

But, I am getting sick of my salad rotation & need some fresh new ideas.
This is where you guys come in!
Next Wednesday, I am having a Summer Salad Swap Recipe Linky!
{Orzo with Shrimp}

I had so much fun with the Cookie Exchange in December and the Cupcake Carnival in May and loved getting new recipes, so I thought I would do one for Summer Salads!
{Broccoli Salad with Bacon & Tomatoes}

So, come back next Wednesday, July 27 & link up your favorite summer salad recipes and come check out what other people share!
{You can grab a button on the side bar}

I will be linking up my Broccoli Salad (see picture above)
I hope you will join in!