Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

 

I guess Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a hit on TikTok. I don't know anything about TikTok. But I now DO know about Dill Pickle Pasta Salad. It was on the potluck table at our church recently, courtesy of Lauren - one of my former Joyful Noise Children's Choir members. Now she's a mama herself and bringing tasty dishes to church potlucks. (Am I old, or what?!)

I like pasta salads in general. When I saw it on the buffet, I figured it would just be a tasty pasta salad. But this was not your usual pasta salad. The dill pickles packed a powerful puckery punch. After discovering who brought the salad, I asked for the recipe and then promptly tried it myself.

The recipe Lauren shared was from the Together As Family blog. I also did a little Googling, and there are lots of versions of recipes for Dill Pickle Pasta Salad. For my version, I used extra sharp Cheddar cheese. Together as Family suggested Colby Jack, but I think the stronger flavor of extra sharp Cheddar holds up better against the powerful pickle taste. I only had enough of the dill pickles for 1 cup (without a trip to the grocery store), so I used bread and butter pickles for the remainder. (That was a suggestion from another recipe.) You can use the combination that best suits your taste buds. We liked the touch of sweetness that the bread and butter pickles provided. 

The recipe said dill pickle slices or baby dill pickles could be used. I like the chopped whole baby dill pickles for more flavor and more crunch.  

If you try it, let me know what you think! 

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Adapted from Together As Family blog 

For salad

1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta 

1/3 cup dill pickle juice (from pickle jar)

2 cups chopped baby dill pickles 

1 block (8 oz) cubed extra sharp Cheddar cheese

1 small onion, finely chopped (opt.)

 

Creamy Dill Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup dill pickle juice 

2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or 1 tbsp. dried dill)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper 

 

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.  When pasta is done cooking, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Move rinsed pasta to a mixing bowl and pour 1/3 cup pickle juice over it. Stir to combine. Let sit while you prepare the rest.

 

Chop the dill pickles and cut cheese into small cubes. Finely chop the white onion, if desired. (You can use green onion for a milder onion taste.)

 

In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients, mixing well.

 

Drain the pasta again that was sitting in the pickle juice. Add the pasta back to the mixing bowl. Add in the pickles, cheese and white onion. Stir to combine.  

 

Pour dressing over pasta salad; stir well. Salad can be eaten right away or, if you prefer a colder salad, refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. 

 

Store leftovers in the refrigerator. However, after sitting, the pasta absorbs the dressing, making it less creamy.  

 

Spring Pea Salad

 

I love a good-quality spiral ham for a holiday family meal. Most of the time, beef dominates our dinner table, since I have a freezer full of it, so it's nice to serve something out of the ordinary on a holiday menu.

But as much as I love ham - and the leftovers - I decided to go a different route for our small Easter dinner this year. 

Since our only guests were my parents, I opted to have a ham and cheese quiche as our main dish. It's usually something I make with my ham leftovers.

Ham & Cheese Quiche

This year, I went directly to quiche for the main dish. Instead of leftover ham, I went with a package of cubed ham to jump start the recipe. It was super quick and easy, especially since I already had a pie crust in in the freezer. 

With spring and Easter on the mind, I still wanted the side dishes to have that springtime look and feel. This Spring Pea Salad went together quickly and was a delicious accompaniment to the festivities. I also did steamed carrots topped with Parmesan cheese and a fresh fruit salad. I had some homemade crescent rolls in the freezer. It made for a colorful and festive Easter plate!

Crescent Rolls

 My usual go-to pea salad is a marinated version. I love it, too. 

  Marinated Vegetable Salad

But for this go-around, I opted for the creamy version often found at buffets or church potlucks. Sign me up for anything with sharp cheddar cheese! 

To make this salad even simpler, you can use high-quality packaged bacon bits instead of crisping it up yourself. While the original recipe called for red onion, I used green onions for a milder "bite."

For dessert, it was a family favorite - Lemonade Dessert. (After looking at my 2010 photo, I realize I need to take a new photo. But I promise: The recipe is a favorite among all my kids and granddaughters.)

While Easter is past, this salad would be a wonderful side dish for your next church potluck, BBQ or family gathering. 

Spring Pea Salad

Adapted from Mom on Timeout

16 ounces frozen peas
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 small red onion, diced (I used green onions for milder taste)
1/4 pound bacon, cooked and finely chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Remove peas from freezer and place in a colander and allow to slightly thaw while preparing the dressing.

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Add the peas, bacon, cheddar cheese, and red onion and fold/stir to combine. Chill the salad for at least one hour before serving. The salad can be made up to 3 days in advance. 

Note: You may substitute packaged real bacon bits to make this salad go together even more quickly.

 

Barb's Chopped Salad

I took this before I added the dressing to better show the ingredients.

This is one of those recipes that isn't really a recipe. My friend, Barb, brought a delicious salad to a church potluck. I asked for the recipe. And I got an email back with this message:

"No recipe. I will try and tell you what I did."

Then, the next day, I got another email, saying:

"I think I forgot I also put in rinsed black beans and fresh corn that I cooked in the skillet for a few minutes."

Back in another era, savvy cooks combined a pinch of this and a smidgen of that. I have a tendency to start with a recipe and then adapt from there. A recipe writer opts for unsalted butter: I invariably used salted. Another uses all butter for a drop cookie recipe, but I like the texture that shortening provides, so I substitute all or part.

This recipe for Chopped Salad is kind of like that. If you've just come home from a farmer's market and have fresh zucchini, by all means, chop up some and add it. Same goes for other fresh veggies. This could also be called a "mix and match" salad, I suppose.

For the dressing, Barb gave me some measurements and then terminology like "a splash of honey" and "a splash of vinegar."

She went to all the work to type it and then the recipe got buried at my house until this summer. I measured my splashes and then I lost the internet at home. So I carried my recipe notes to another location. And I lost them.

 So ... I'm giving you my best approximation of things. But this truly is one of those recipes like your Grandma used to make. Add or subtract the veggies you like. Use a pinch more of this or that. It will all be OK. But I would use the avocado, since it adds a nice, creamy texture along with the dressing.

In her original recipe, Barb cooked chicken breasts on top of the stove. Since we are in the midst of grilling season, I grilled seasoned chicken, along with beef to serve to my cattleman. (I like beef, too, but I also like a change of pace once in awhile.)

The recipe makes a large amount, perfect for a potluck or family reunion. You can adjust the amounts downward if you're only serving a few.

This is not a low-cal salad. But it sure is yummy!

I put both my serving and Randy's on a platter for illustration purposes!

Chopped Salad

Recipe from Barb Sewing

4 chicken breasts cooked in non-stick skillet with butter, olive oil, salt and pepper
3 hearts of romaine, chopped
1 bunch green onions, diced
2 green, red or other colored peppers (or use the multi-colored baby peppers)
1 cup shredded cheese (use your favorite)
3 diced avocadoes
1 carton cherry or grape tomatoes (or chop up regular tomatoes)
1 cup rinsed black beans
2 cobs of fresh corn (or use frozen)

Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
Salt & pepper to taste
Half & half needed to thin the dressing

Cook the chicken breasts and set aside to cool. You may also season and grill chicken or steak. If you're using fresh corn, remove the kernels from the cobs and cook in the same skillet until tender. If you're using frozen, set it out to thaw while you are preparing the other ingredients.

Chop lettuce and other vegetables. Toss to combine.

Combine dressing ingredients, adding ingredients to taste and thinning with half and half. When ready to serve, stir the dressing into the salad and gently toss. Barb also stirred the cooled chicken into the salad. I served it separately. It's delicious either way. Serve immediately.

Cream of Coconut Cake

I'm not sure whether a coconut dessert has a place at the table for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. (And Cinco de Mayo, coming up on May 5, seems to be the current theme among food bloggers these days.)

But this Cream of Coconut Cake had good reviews at a church potluck dinner last weekend. And, since my husband is a coconut fan, it also got good reviews for leftovers consumed at home. 

When people ask for a recipe, I always feel a little guilty when it starts with a cake mix. But this one is doctored up with some extras, like pudding and coconut. And who can really argue with easy?

It's essentially a poke cake:  When it comes out of the oven, you use a fork and jab it like a maniac on one of those detective TV shows. Then, for even more subtle coconut flavor, pour cream of coconut over the cake. Cream of coconut can be found where you'd find ingredients for mixed drinks. It doesn't have any alcohol. It just has the tropical flavor. A word to the wise: This isn't coconut milk, so keep looking if that's what you find. It's a syrupy concoction that oozes over the cake and gives it delicious moistness. The bottle I found was 21 ounces, but this isn't an exact science. Don't make yourself crazy looking for that exact amount. If it's an ounce more or less, it's still going to work just fine.

Once the cake has completely cooled, top it with Cool Whip. Or make your own sweetened whipped cream from scratch if you're feeling all virtuous. (I wasn't.) Sprinkle with toasted coconut to make it pretty and add a little more flavor and texture.

So, whether for Cinco de Mayo or for a church potluck or to satisfy your coconut craving, this recipe will be the "cream" of the crop.

Cream of Coconut Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. French vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 1/3 cups water
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
**
1 21-oz. bottle of cream of coconut (not coconut milk)
1 tub Cool Whip
1 cup coconut, toasted

In a mixer, combine eggs, oil and water and blend until well mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Blend until smooth. Add flaked coconut. Pour into 9- by 13-inch pan which has been sprayed with baking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the cake. Pour the cream of coconut over the cake. Put in the refrigerator to cool. When the cake is fully cool, spread Cool Whip over the cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut to garnish.

Keep refrigerated until serving and refrigerate all leftovers.