Salads - Lauren's Latest

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Lauren's Latest — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:30:00 +0000

Leftover chicken never tasted so good! A Chicken Salad Sandwich is always my favorite way to put it to use! Shredded roasted chicken, sliced red grapes, red onion, basil, celery and chopped pecans come together in a simple mayonnaise dressing. Scoop a heaping spoonful (or more!) onto a croissant and you have the most delicious lunch ever! Pair with some Homemade Kettle Chips or my easy Fruit Salad.

Use Croissants

Everyone has their own version of Chicken Salad Sandwiches. Some use dinner rolls, some opt for the low carb option of a wrap or just eat it plain, maybe with some crackers. Croissants are my go to for many reasons. It’s obvious that they are far superior to all the other breads out there, but the buttery, flaky texture is really just the best and you cannot convince me otherwise. I love to use croissants for chicken salad because they are so soft and pretty sturdy as far as bread goes. You can really load on the chicken salad and some crunchy lettuce to finish it off.

How to Make Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Definitely one of the most simple recipes I have…the hardest part comes in the slicing and dicing of the grapes and veggies. For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card down below.

Combine All Ingredients

Combine shredded chicken, sliced red grapes, basil, chopped pecans, diced red onion, and diced celery together in large bowl. Add in Mayonnaise and salt + pepper. Stir to combine.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Scoop onto Croissants + Serve

Add lettuce to bottom part of croissant. Scoop a heaping spoonful or two onto croissant.

What to Serve with Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Depending on how you are using these, there are lots of options for side dishes that pair well. If you’re wanting to make these for a party/gathering, try using mini croissants and serve as an appetizer. Other side dish options are:

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover Chicken Salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Chicken salad will stay fresh for 2-3 days…depending on when the roasted chicken was cooked. You will want to stir the mixture up a little before you use it, as the mayo and other juices tend to separate a little.

Make Ahead – The beauty of Chicken Salad is the longer it sits, the better it tastes! This absolutely is a great make ahead kind of recipe.

Freezing – Unfortunately freezing isn’t an option. Anything with mayonnaise in it doesn’t freeze very well and I don’t recommend it.

More Salads to Try!

This Chicken Salad Sandwich recipe is perfect for lunch or light snacking…OR throw these into mini croissants. Super cute and kind of fancy too. No one needs to know how easy it is to make.

The printable recipe card is found below. Be sure to print, save, bookmark and share this recipe to have handy! Enjoy your day, friends!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Leftover chicken never tasted so good! A Chicken Salad Sandwich is my new favorite way to put it to use!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword Pecan Chicken Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 585kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

2 large roasted chicken breasts fully cooked, cooled and diced
2 cups red grapes sliced
10 large basil leaves chiffonade
½ cup pecans toasted, chopped
2 stalks celery diced
½ cup red onion diced
¾-1 cup mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Stir all ingredients together in large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Delicious with crackers or in a sandwich with lettuce.

Nutrition

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Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad

Lauren's Latest — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:55:00 +0000

Corn,Tomato & Avocado Salad is a healthy salad perfect for the late summer days while these beautiful vegetables are in season. This salad boasts a tasty apple cider vinaigrette and is filled with fresh corn, ripe avocados, sweet basil, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini. This colorful salad is the perfect summer side dish to Grilled Flank Steak.

Lots of Fresh Veggies

Here is an amazing late summer salad that will have you drooling. Or swooning. Or both. So much goodness in one bowl! Lots of veggies chopped up, served all together with a simple apple cider-based vinaigrette.

How to Make Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad

This salad comes together fairly easy. Mostly just chopping veggies, and then charring the corn. If you’re unsure how to char corn, I have a great step by step tutorial about how to grill corn that can help you!

Shuck, Cook + Grill Corn

Shuck fresh corn and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Microwave all three cobs for 4-5 minutes. Remove from microwave and unwrap carefully. Grill (either indoors or outdoors) to char the kernels on the outside. There is nothing better than charred corn! Set aside to cool.

Chop Remaining Veggies

Chop fresh pepper, tomatoes, avocados, zucchini, basil and roasted peppers and add to a large bowl. Cut kernels off of the cob and add to salad.

I used a lot of basil in this salad. Feel free to start out with half of the amount and add more and more in as desired. There is fresh zucchini in this salad and you won’t even taste it! Zucchini is a great veggie to add for extra nutrition while going mostly undetected.

Make the Dressing

For the dressing, whisk apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, garlic, sugar and ground pepper together until well combined. Pour over salad and toss.

Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Storing Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad

This salad is best eaten the day you make it. The longer it sits, the basil will begin to wilt. That being said, it will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Make Ahead

This is a great salad to make ahead of time. Chop everything up and put in a bowl, make the dressing. Store separately in the fridge until just before ready to serve. Add the dressing and toss when ready to serve.

Love Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad? Give These Salad Recipes a Try…

Hope your weekend has been amazing! Be sure to save, print, bookmark or share this recipe to keep it handy. Enjoy, friends!

Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad

Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad is a healthy salad perfect for the late summer months. Filled with fresh corn, avocados, sweet basil, cherry and golden tomatoes, peppers and zucchini.

Course Salad

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword corn tomato avocado salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 237kcal

Ingredients

3 ears corn
1 orange pepper diced
1 large zucchini diced
2 ripe avocados diced
16 oz roasted red peppers chopped
10 oz golden cherry tomatoes halved
10 oz cherry tomatoes halved
.66 oz container basil chopped

for the dressing:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Shuck fresh corn and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Microwave all three for 4-5 minutes. Remove from microwave and unwrap carefully. Grill (either indoors or outdoors) to char the kernels on the outside. Set aside to cool. Chop fresh ingredients and add to a large bowl. Cut kernels off of the cob and add to salad.
For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Pour over salad and toss. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Nutrition

The post Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Lauren's Latest — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This creamy Tuna Pasta Salad is tangy, crunchy, oniony, and delightful! Perfect for a healthy lunch, light dinner, or snack to store in the fridge. The same goes for my Macaroni Salad! Great to bring to a potluck to share or keep it to yourself at home, anytime of the year!

Perfect Anytime!

Let’s talk easy dinners and Tuna Pasta Salad, shall we?

Pasta and tuna together are amazing with dill pickles, peas, and a few other yummy things. This is perfect for snacking, perfect for lunch, perfect for a picnic, basically perfect for any occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed eating this entire bowl.

Helpful Ingredient Tips

Sometimes a particular form of an ingredient is better than another when used in a recipe. Here are a few that I have found with this Tuna Pasta Salad.

Mini Bowtie Pasta – I love using mini bowtie pasta for this recipe because with every bite you get the perfect balance of ingredients. No huge chunks of pickle, pasta, or red onion. However, you can use whatever pasta you have on hand (probably not spaghetti, fettuccine, or lasagna noodles though).
Frozen Peas – if you don’t have frozen peas, you can use canned peas. Just be sure to drain them well. If fresh peas are in season, that would be the BEST choice of course.
Red Onion – or white onion. Although I love the taste of raw red onion, you can replace it with white onion, if desired.
Dill Pickle – please please please use dill pickles and not sweet pickles. This makes a huge difference.
Tuna – I used albacore packed in water but feel free to use what you have. And don’t forget to drain it!

Variations – Make This Salad Your Own

Feel free to change up this recipe to make it your own! Here are a couple of ideas from some of my readers who adapted their Tuna Pasta Salads:

Cut Out the Mayonnaise – to cut out some of the mayo, go half and half with unsweetened plain greek yogurt. This makes this recipe a little more healthy.
Replace Dill Pickles – don’t like dill pickles? One of my reader’s replaced them with green olives and capers and another replaced it with artichoke hearts! However, if you’re just looking for the crunch without the pickle flavor, try celery.
More Protein – looking to add more protein to your dish? Consider adding a can of cannellini beans or garbanzo beans.
Replace Tuna – this might be a little sacrilege, but if you happen not to like tuna, you can still enjoy this recipe by replacing it with shredded chicken.

How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad

For full details on how to make Tuna Pasta Salad, see the recipe card down below. Here is what you can expect while making this salad.

Prep Ingredients

Prepare ingredients by dicing red onion and dill pickles.

Cook Pasta + Peas

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and cook pasta until al dente. Stir in frozen peas and cook for 30 seconds.

Drain pasta and peas. If you want room-temperature pasta salad, don’t rinse. If you want cold pasta salad, rinse with cold water.

Mix Remaining Ingredients

In a large bowl, stir cooked pasta and peas together with remaining ingredients until everything is evenly coated in sauce {made from mayonnaise and lemon juice}.

Serve or Refrigerate

Serve or refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

Storing Tuna Pasta Salad

Store any leftover Tuna Pasta Salad in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days! The longer it sits the better it tastes. Perfect as lunch, as a snack, or as a side dish!

Freezing or Make Ahead – I don’t recommend freezing this salad because of the mayo- it doesn’t thaw and remix very well. You can make this salad ahead of time (the day before) before you need it and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Love Tuna? Check Out These Other Recipes:

More Pasta Salad Recipes to Try!

If you liked this Tuna Pasta Salad you’re going to love my other pasta salad recipes!

The printable recipe card is down below, have a great day, friends!

Tuna Pasta Salad

This creamy Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe is tangy, crunchy, oniony, and delightful! Perfect for a healthy lunch, light dinner, or snack to store in the fridge.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Tuna Pasta Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 618kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

1 lb mini bowtie pasta
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup red onion diced, or white onion
3/4 cup dill pickle diced
10 oz tuna (two 5 oz cans) drained, I used albacore tuna packed in water
1/2 lemon juiced
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dried dill
salt & pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare ingredients by dicing red onion and dill pickles.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and cook pasta until al dente. Stir in frozen peas and cook for 30 seconds.
Drain pasta and peas. If you want room-temperature pasta salad, don't rinse. If you want cold pasta salad, rinse with cold water.
In a large bowl, stir cooked pasta and peas together with remaining ingredients until everything is evenly coated in sauce {made from mayonnaise and lemon juice}. Serve or refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

Nutrition

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Italian Pasta Salad

Lauren's Latest — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 11:30:00 +0000

This Italian Pasta Salad has it all! Tender pasta, salty pepperoni, cubed mozzarella, lots of diced veggies and a homemade olive oil and garlic dressing. The longer it sits the better it tastes! Perfect for potlucks, BBQs or simple side dish. This pasta salad is probably one of my go-to cold side dishes for summer. Everyone loves them because they are easy to make, very fresh and oh so delicious. From Macaroni Salad to Tuna Pasta Salad, they’re all good!

Make This Italian Pasta Salad Your Own

The beauty of this recipe is how easily the veggies and pasta can be interchanged. Here are a few great options to choose from. Of course, my recipe includes many of the ingredients listed, but if you are missing one or two, don’t let that stop you from making this! It will still be delicious!

Any short-cut pasta
cucumber
tomatoes
olives
pepperoni
bell peppers
mozzarella or cheddar
red onion
fresh basil and parsley
artichoke hearts
sun-dried tomatoes
salami
parmesan cheese
mushrooms
carrot
celery

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

It’s super duper simple to pull this easy side dish together! The hardest part is chopping a few veggies, but I find that therapeutic. For full recipe details, including ingredient amounts, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is what you can expect while making this pasta salad.

Cook the Pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions. Since this will be refrigerated, I would cook this 1 minute past al dente. It will still have a bit of a bite because of the refrigeration.

Chop the Veggies

This recipe calls for tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, but feel free to add in whatever ingredients you have! Artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, etc..

Make the Dressing

Whisk a simple mixture of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and Italian seasoning together and season well.

Can I use a different dressing?

Most Italian Pasta Salads call for pre-made Italian salad dressing which is totally fine to use! It’s such a simple choice, of course…you are welcome to use it! For a creamier salad dressing, feel free to use a pre-made ranch or blue cheese dressing. Be sure to read the notes within the recipe card below for other options.

Toss Together + Serve

Toss everything together. The longer this salad has to marinate together, the more delicious it becomes!

Storage Directions

This particular recipe is good for up to 5 days in the fridge, though is most delicious day 2 after it’s had some time to marinate.

Can I freeze pasta salad?

No, I would not recommend freezing this recipe, simply because fresh veggies do not thaw very nicely and will not taste very fresh post-freezer.

Other Summer Salads you will love!

If pasta salad isn’t your scene, try some of these other family favorites we rotate through all summer long:

More Pasta Salad Recipes to Try!

If you liked this recipe, you’re going to LOVE my other pasta salad recipes, give them a try next time you are looking for a refreshing side dish.

Printable recipe card is below! Have a good day, friends!

Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

This Italian Pasta salad has it all! Tender pasta, salty pepperoni, cubed mozzarella, lots of diced veggies and a homemade olive oil and garlic dressing. The longer it sits the better it tastes! Perfect for potlucks, BBQs or simple side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword italian pasta salad, pasta salad, pasta salad recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 493kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

For the pasta salad:

3/4 pound rotini pasta cooked
1/2 cup red onion finely diced
8 oz mozzarella cheese cubed
5 oz pepperoni cubed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh basil
3/4 cup sliced black olives
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 english cucumber diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper diced

For the pasta salad dressing:

1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Add pasta to a large bowl and add in remaining prepared salad ingredients.
For the dressing, whisk together garlic, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings. Stream in olive oil to emulsify and pour over salad. Toss to coat and add in extra Italian seasoning as desired.
Serve pasta salad or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Notes

Feel free to use 3/4 cup prepared Italian Salad Dressing in place of the homemade.

Nutrition

The post Italian Pasta Salad appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Labor Day Cookout Recipes

Lauren's Latest — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:30:00 +0000

Can you believe we are approaching the unofficial end of summer? If your summer has been like mine, its been busy! As Labor Day approaches, I wanted to pull together several of our favorite recipes we have enjoyed this summer. From grilling and smoker recipes, to appetizers, salads and desserts…I’ve got you covered. Make your Labor Day cookout be one to remember with lots of mouth watering, crowd pleasing food.

Simple Labor Day Cookout Recipes

We’ve really been enjoying our summer with lots of get-togethers with family and friends! Whether we’ve been at our house or invited to a potluck with friends, we have not been deprived of delicious food. I pulled together some of our favorites from this summer to bring to you a good selection of recipes to use at your Labor Day festivities this year.

First, we have appetizers and salads. Then on to main course, sides and of course DESSERT!

May your Labor Day weekend taste as delicious as ours!

Have a great holiday weekend, friends!

Appetizers

Grilled Corn Salsa

Grilled Corn Salsa is perfect for a summer appetizer any day! Enjoy this with tortilla chips at your Labor Day festivities this year!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip is creamy, spicy, and perfect for an easy party appetizer this Labor Day Weekend! Pair with chips, veggies, pita bread, and/or crackers.

Fried Zucchini

Fried Zucchini is wildly addicting and our favorite way to eat zucchini lately. Served as a side or appetizer, these will quickly disappear, just as fast as you can fry them up!

Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Frito Bites

Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Frito Bites are crunchy, tangy, sweet-with-a-little-heat, pork-tastic Frito bites! Carolina sauce never paired so well with pulled pork. It’s a perfect appetizer to bring to your Labor Day Cookout!

Salads

Caprese Salad

Nothing beats a Caprese Salad Recipe. Fresh, flavorful and delicious made with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet basil, and a homemade garlic balsamic dressing! It’s truly the perfect salad.

Broccoli Salad with Bacon

This is the best Broccoli Salad recipe ever! It’s sweet, creamy, and crunchy with fresh broccoli, homemade dressing, and lots of bacon! This salad pairs well with so many different meals. Make it at your Labor Day BBQ!

Creamy Potato Salad (no eggs!)

This Creamy Potato Salad recipe is truly one of the best recipes I have. It’s such a crowd-pleasing classic in my book. Perfect for Labor Day gatherings of any kind and easy to make well in advance.

Ambrosia Salad

If you want a salad that tastes just like dessert, Ambrosia Salad is the ticket! Made with fresh pineapple, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, coconut, mini marshmallows and stirred together with a whipped cream dressing, your Labor Day guests will fall in love with this Ambrosia Recipe!

BBQ/Smoker

The Best Burger Recipe

The Best Burger is grilled hot, juicy, and slathered in my secret sauce. Of course, the most classic dinner you can make on a grill is a hamburger (or cheeseburger of course)! It never gets old and it tends to taste better the hotter it gets outside. This is a must have this Labor Day Weekend!

Blue Cheese Burger Recipe

This classic Blue Cheese Burger is big, hot and juicy off the grill and can be made start to finish in about 20 minutes! Perfect for Labor Day Cookouts!

How to Grill Corn

If you are going to be firing up that grill this Labor Day for some tasty ribs or burgers, throwing a few ears of corn on the grill is so convenient to cook a tasty sweet and savory side along with your main course, plus it adds amazing flavor to an otherwise boring ear of corn.

Turkey Burger Recipe

This Turkey Burger Recipe will be the juiciest and most delicious burger you ever did make. One secret ingredient takes these babies over the top! Simple to make on the grill or stovetop, flavorful, and obviously super moist.

Smoked Chicken Wings

The deep wood flavor you get from low and slow smoking is far superior to those heavily breaded deep fried wings you get in a restaurant. Have this smoked deliciousness in less than 2 hours at your Labor Day BBQ this year.

Smoked Pork Butt

Smoked Pork Butt is going to turn into the most delicious Pulled Pork you’ve ever had. Low and slow is the name of the game when preparing a Pork Butt. And smoking is (in my humble opinion) the BEST way to do this. Smoked pulled pork is my go-to choice for feeding a crowd at your Labor Day cookout.

Smoked Ribs

If these smoked ribs don’t scream Labor Day BBQ, then I don’t know what does. Whatever type of ribs you are smoking (spare ribs, pork ribs, baby back ribs), this 3-2-1 ribs method will give you fall off the bone ribs every time along with that distinctive smoky flavor that is undeniable.

Side Dishes

Boston Baked Beans

Tangy yet sweet this Boston Baked Beans recipe can be made on the stovetop or in a crockpot. Perfect to make ahead and have ready for your Labor Day cookout!

Classic Coleslaw Recipe

This Classic Coleslaw Recipe is a fresh, made from scratch recipe that will make you never buy store bought coleslaw again! Coleslaw is one of the quintessential salads of summer and the unsung hero for many dishes! Pair this with some smoked pulled pork at your Labor Day BBQ.

Macaroni Salad

This simple Macaroni Salad Recipe is the perfect combination of creamy and crunchy, and totally adaptable to your own liking. It’s the perfect side dish Labor Day weekend and is ready in just 15 minutes!

Desserts

Perfect Lemon Bars

These Lemon Bars are the quintessential party dessert, baking up perfectly sweet while still lemony and tart. Very few, simple ingredients are needed to make this recipe from scratch and they always are the first to go at any get-together.

Fruit Pizza

When you need a beautiful, delicious, lightly sweet dessert, try making a Fruit Pizza! Sugar Cookie dough is spread into a half sheet pan and baked, then topped with a light and creamy pudding and fresh fruit. A perfect addition to your Labor Day get-together!

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream is easier to make than you think and I’m going to show you how! This recipe is made with a simple no-cook chocolate base and yields a rich and decadent ice cream. It’s the perfect treat on a hot summer day!

Zucchini Brownies

Labor Day is almost here which means you absolutely need a recipe for the Best Zucchini Brownies! Get ready for chocolate zucchini bliss that’s soft, sweet, and topped with a chocolatey glaze.

Nutella Deviled Strawberries

These Nutella Deviled Strawberries are a fast, three-ingredient dessert or treat, perfect for any party or afternoon pick-me-up. If you’ve never had Nutella and strawberries, get ready to live! A must have this Labor Day!

Buttery Apple Pie

Nothing is more satisfying or comforting than this apple pie recipe with vanilla ice cream. Sweet cinnamon apple slices poured into a homemade, all-butter crust that bakes up flaky, tender and delicious. A perfect farewell to summer.

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Caprese Salad Recipe

Lauren's Latest — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 21:00:00 +0000

Nothing beats a Caprese Salad Recipe. Fresh, flavorful and delicious made with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet basil, and a homemade garlic balsamic dressing! It’s truly the perfect salad all year long. Delicious served as an appetizer to Spaghetti and Meatballs and Garlic Bread. Yum!

But First, What is Caprese Salad?

A Caprese Salad (pronounced kuh·pray·zay) is a simple Italian salad made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, salt, and olive oil. Like the Italian flag, this salad features the white, red, and green colors. It’s extremely popular and for good reason. One bite and you’ll understand the juicy sweet tomatoes paired with the herby basil and the creamy mozzarella is AMAZING.

Only 3 Main Ingredients

There are three main ingredients needed for a traditional Caprese Salad. While I include a few more for the overall recipe, these are the main ones that you’re going to want to find. Remember: since this recipe is only made up of a handful of ingredients, try to use the best quality ingredients you can find.

Fresh Mozzarella. This mozzarella cheese is the kind that is softer, creamier, and packed in saltwater. I use Bocconcini which are the mini mozzarella balls, but the slices of mozzarella work just fine as well, cut into cubes.
Fresh Tomatoes. I love using sweet grape tomatoes because regardless of the time of year, these always taste sweet and the quality is good. I hate a grainy tomato in the winter, so always gravitate towards the grape or cherry tomatoes most of the time. If you can find some ripe heirloom tomatoes, by all means, use those. But in case you can’t find those or don’t want to spend the money, the grape tomatoes work great!
Fresh Basil. Herby and delicious, this is the last ingredient needed for a classic Caprese Salad. There is no real substitute for this and bonus: it’s super easy to grow yourself!

For the Garlic Balsamic Dressing

Honorable mentions for my recipe include balsamic vinegar, pepper, olive oil, garlic and a few extra lettuce greens to fill the salad out more and make it go a little further. If you’re feeding a crowd, this is a great way to stretch a dollar. Of course, the addition of lettuce is totally optional.

Make it a Meal!

You could add this salad with a protein to make it a meal. Chicken Parmesan would be super tasty with this salad recipe.

How to Make Caprese Salad

There are very few {healthy} foods I love much more than brownies. And cookies. And fries. But one thing that actually makes my heart go pitter-patter is a really good salad. More specifically, this Caprese salad. This Italian salad is delicious on its own, but particularly good with my homemade garlic balsamic dressing. SO so tasty!

Follow these quick and simple steps to make your tasty salad.

Assembling the Salad

Place baby greens onto a serving platter. Top with bocconcini (mini mozzarellas), tomatoes, basil, and pepper.

When plating, try putting blocks of color together instead of spreading everything out evenly over the top to make it look pretty. That’s what I did in these photos and it makes for a beautiful presentation.

Making the Balsamic Dressing

I LOVE a good garlicky dressing and this one does not disappoint. While balsamic vinegar is a traditional topping for this salad, the garlic isn’t. But I’m not one to shy away from making the classics a tiny bit more flavorful and garlic seemed like an obvious choice.

Measure out garlic, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake it up to emulsify, then drizzle it over the salad. Again, makes for a great presentation!

Can Caprese Salad Be Made Ahead of Time?

Yes! Absolutely you can make this ahead. Just be sure to store the dressing separately and as much moisture is removed from the fresh mozzarella as possible. Moisture tends to ruin the integrity of the other ingredients, so making sure there isn’t much is key. This Caprese Salad will last up to 3 days in the fridge. Right before serving, top with dressing.

This salad tastes best when freshly made and assembled. Plus it’s super quick to throw together.

Other Italian Favorites!

And there you have it. Printable recipe card is below, make sure to save/pin/print this one out. Enjoy!

Easy Caprese Salad

Nothing beats a Caprese Salad made with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet basil and a homemade garlic balsamic dressing! The perfect salad all year long.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword caprese salad, caprese sald recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 539kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

1 plastic container of washed baby greens any kind {about 6 cups}
1 lb. Bocconcini drained, patted dry and halved {baby mozzarella balls}
1 lb. grape tomatoes washed and halved
12 large basil leaves chopped
cracked black pepper to taste

for the dressing-

1 clove garlic grated
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
7 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place baby greens onto a serving platter. Top with bocconcini, tomatoes, basil, and pepper.
Measure all ingredients for dressing into a small jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake and drizzle over salad. Serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

The post Caprese Salad Recipe appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Lauren's Latest — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 11:30:00 +0000

A classic and delicious salad, this Cucumber Tomato Salad is light, refreshing and so so easy to make! Made with sweet english cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and a simple homemade dressing, you will want add this into your regular meal rotation, regardless of the time of year. So tasty as a side to my Country BBQ Pizza or a simple Roasted Chicken.

Cucumber Tomato Salad aka My Go-To Salad

I don’t know about you, but I am head over heels in love with this salad! It’s a suuuuper basic recipe that I’ve been making for years. It tastes more delicious the longer it sits and pairs perfectly with just about any main course. Whether you’re making this with freshly grown veggies from your garden in the summer or store bought veggies from the store in the winter, I promise MY version of Tomato Cucumber Salad will be one of the best salads you’ve ever eaten. Throw it together in a cinch tonight as your side salad for dinner.

How to Make Cucumber Tomato Salad

Because this is a no-cooking required recipe, it’s probably one of the easiest recipes on my site! Trim and slice up your veggies, add the dressing and that’s it!

Prep your Cucumbers + Tomatoes

Wash your english cucumber and tomatoes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the cucumbers into half moons. I link slicing my cucumbers slightly thinner, but feel free to keep this salad nice and chunky. Also, slice your red onions and add them to the bowl.

Do I Have to Use English Cucumbers?

No, you are welcome to use any cucumbers you can find! I definitely prefer the English (or Hothouse) Cucumbers because you don’t have to peel them, they are longer, skinnier and sweeter than a regular cucumber you’d get at the store, plus they are all seedless. Yes, they tend to have a higher price tag, but for good reason! You will fall in love with English Cucumbers.

If you’d prefer a regular cucumber, be sure to peel and de-seed it.

Can’t I Just Use Regular Tomatoes? Why Use Cherry Tomatoes?

I was very particular in choosing which tomatoes I’d prefer to use for this salad. Because a Cucumber Tomato Salad is basically just two ingredients with a few red onions and a homemade dressing, the cucumbers and tomatoes absolutely need to be delicious. In my opinion, cherry and grape tomatoes are sweet and delicious year round. I live in a place that has four seasons and I can’t grow delicious garden tomatoes in January, unfortunately. In the winter and sometimes even in the summer, store bought roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes and “on the vine” tomatoes can be a little grainy. The quality goes down in the winter months. But, I’ve found cherry and grape tomatoes are fabulous regardless of the month I’m buying them in. So that is what I recommend using for this salad.

Make the Dressing

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add grapeseed oil, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until emulsified.

Toss Together

Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to coat. You can serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about an hour to marinate the veggies so they really absorb the flavors from the dressing. Serve!

Do I Have to Let My Salad Marinate in the Fridge?

Giving this salad time to sit and marinate in the fridge gives the tomatoes time to release some of their (sweet) juices and allows the onions to mellow out and not be so ‘spicy’ or strong. So, even though you can enjoy this immediately, I’d highly recommend letting it sit an hour in the fridge for maximum deliciousness. Totally personal preference.

Variations

Cucumber Tomato Salad is a pretty simple and straight forward recipe that you can change and modify to make it just how you like it. Because this dressing is so versatile, it would taste delicious with all these options. Here are a couple of common ingredients I’d recommend trying:

avocado
feta cheese crumbles
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil (I love adding this! So so good!)
fresh corn
fresh chopped dill
canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed well)
quinoa

More Salad Recipes to Try!

Enjoy this Cucumber Tomato Salad on the side with some meaty dish or just as a light afternoon snack.

The printable recipe card is below. Be sure to print/pin/save/bookmark/share this recipe because it’s a classic recipe you won’t want to lose. Have a great day, friends!

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Light, refreshing with a slight zing this is my Cucumber Tomato Salad recipe! It's a classic that is perfect as a side dish or as a snack.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword tomato cucumber salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Optional: Marinate Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 97kcal

Ingredients

2 english cucumbers halved and sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1/4 red onion sliced

For the dressing

3 tablespoons grape seed oil or olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Wash your english cucumber and tomatoes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the cucumbers into half moons. I link slicing my cucumbers slightly thinner, but feel free to keep this salad nice and chunky. Also, slice your red onions and add them to the bowl.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add grapeseed oil, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until emulsified.
Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to coat. You can serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about an hour to marinate the veggies so they really absorb the flavors from the dressing. Serve!

Nutrition

The post Cucumber Tomato Salad appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Cucumber Salad Recipe

Lauren's Latest — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 13:52:00 +0000

Cucumber Salad is cool, crunchy, refreshing, and easy to throw together on a hot summer day! It’s easy to double for BBQ’s, potlucks, or just as an afternoon snack. Plus cucumbers are in season from May until August actually, making it the perfect summer salad! If you’re in a cucumber kind of mood, you must also try my Cucumber Tomato Salad!

Perfect for Summer

This Cucumber Salad Recipe is one of my Grandma’s beloved recipes. I use the term ‘recipe’ loosely because she never really wrote any recipes down. “Just make it until it tastes right.” is really hard to do with any of Grandma’s recipes, especially this cucumber salad. But don’t worry, I have cracked the code! “Just make it until it tastes right” is today’s “measure with your heart”.

Easy Substitutions

The most common question I get about this recipe is how to make this cucumber salad recipe with sour cream. Lots of German grandmas used to make their cucumber salads with sour cream and mine did not, hence this recipe. The best answer I have for you is to add your sour cream sparingly and taste as you go. Find what is most delicious to you and go from there. Some stir in half a cup to the entire recipe while others just dollop it on top at the end. It’s totally up to you!

Or try using Greek Yogurt, Ranch Dressing or Mayonnaise as your creamy stir in. Whatever floats your boat.

What kind of cucumbers should I use?

I used English Cucumbers but if you have garden fresh cucumbers coming out of your ears, feel free to use those too!

What kind of onions are best in this recipe?

For a sharp, strong oniony taste, use white onions. If you’re looking for a more mild flavor, try using red onions.

What about the green peppers?

Green pepper is the most bitter and unripe of all of the bell pepper colors. It goes perfectly with this salad.

How to Make Cucumber Salad

This simple cucumber salad is filled with fresh crunchy ingredients. For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card below.

Peel + Slice Cucumbers

You can use a knife or a mandoline slicer. You want your cucumbers 1/4-1/8 inch thick. The thinner they are, the easier they absorb the dressing. I use English cucumbers, but if you have fresh garden cucumbers, feel free to peel, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the larger seeds.

Thin Slice the other Veggies

Slice onion, green pepper, and garlic. These don’t have to be nearly as thin as the cucumber but small enough to be bite sized.

Make the Dressing, Pour over Veggies + Marinate

This vinegar and water based marinating liquid is as good as it gets. Stir it together with salt, pepper, and sugar.

Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and marinate. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!

Refrigerate and then serve.

Cucumber Marinating Tip

You need to store your cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator . You’re essentially pickling your cucumbers and the best way to do that is in an air-free environment. Also, you don’t want your fridge to stink! So, a bowl with a good lid, a large jar or a plastic container all would be great. My grandma used to use larger jars with a little plastic wrap under the seal for a little extra anti-leak insurance.

Storing Leftover Cucumber Salad

Because this is vinegar based and essentially pickles, this cucumber salad can last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Of course it won’t last that long because it’s so good, but it should be good for at least two weeks.

Delicious main courses to serve with this salad:

More Summer Salads to Try…

Here are a few other summer salads that are delicious and perfect for potlucks, family get-togethers and BBQ’s:

Like my own family, this recipe can become an heirloom to pass down so try making it the next time you’re looking for a salad.

Printable recipe card is below! Pin it, print it, bookmark it! You won’t regret it.

Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe

My Grandma’s Cucumber Salad Recipe is cool, crunchy, refreshing, and easy to throw together on a hot summer day! Great for BBQ’s or potlucks.

Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine German

Keyword cucumber salad, cucumber salad recipe, summer salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Refrigeration 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 56kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers
1/4 small onion sliced thin
1/4 green bell pepper sliced thin
1 clove garlic smashed
1 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup cold water
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Peel cucumbers and slice very thin. Place into a bowl with onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
In a liquid measuring cup, stir remaining ingredients together. Pour over veggies and stir. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours {at least!!} to overnight before serving.

Nutrition

The post Cucumber Salad Recipe appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Lauren's Latest — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 19:16:00 +0000

Broccoli Salad Basics

This tasty little broccoli salad recipe will blow your mind! What sets this one apart? Homemade dressing and all the bacon! The best part is you can adapt this salad to fit your liking and did I mention, all the bacon!?

While the original recipe posted here does not call for raisins, craisins or grapes, I know that many like to add those to a broccoli salad. I recently tried a friend’s version that had halved red seedless grapes…and wow! It was amazing. I highly recommend! Raisins, Craisins or grapes bring a chewy sweet flavor to the whole salad.

How to Make Broccoli Salad

It’s definitely one of the better fail-proof recipes I have in my custody that I am in LOVE with. It’s easy, has a good crunch factor, has the right broccoli to bacon ratio plus that sweet dressing turns otherwise unassuming broccoli into magic. Here is how to make it. For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card down below.

Cook Bacon + Prep Veggies

Chop all the vegetables making sure to cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cook bacon according to your liking and cut up into small pieces, or you could buy bacon bits.

Combine in a Bowl

Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.

Make the Dressing + Toss to Coat

In a smaller bowl, mix sugar, real mayonnaise, white vinegar and salt + pepper together to combine. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Make Ahead

The best part about this salad is you can chop all the veggies, store it in your refrigerator and add the dressing right before serving. It’s a definite crowd pleaser and is fabulous for holidays and potlucks.

Storing Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Beyond this time, the broccoli will start to wilt.

Other salad recipes you might like:

What others are saying about this Broccoli Salad Recipe:

“This is by far the best broccoli salad recipe I’ve seen!! Yumm” ~ Stacy
“Made this last weekend and it was delicious! Loved the sunflower seeds” ~ Bryn
“I made this on Saturday night for our Easter dinner. I couldn’t wait to eat it and it was worth the wait. It was delicious. I did add the raisins and some shredded carrot that I had after making your carrot cupcakes. This will be made again.” ~ Teresa
“My Mom would make this often. My three brothers’ Dad and I loved it. Made it for my Hubby, he loved it and said, “you can make this again, anytime”. I will.” ~ Mare
“This salad is a huge hit. I bring it to family parties and everyone loves it.” ~ Dorene
“Absolutely delicious. Has been requested from my family to be made again and again!! Thanks for sharing!!” ~ Karen

Below is the printable recipe card! Have a great day and enjoy, friends!

Broccoli Salad

This is the best Broccoli Salad recipe that will be devoured at your next barbecue! It's sweet, creamy and crunchy with fresh broccoli, homemade dressing and lots of bacon!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword broccoli salad, broccoli salad recipe, broccoli salad with bacon, summer salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 512kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

8 cups fresh broccoli florets bite size
1/2 cup red onion finely diced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup crumbled bacon
1/2 cup raisins or craisins optional, but not used in my recipe

For the dressing:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups real mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Chop all the vegetables making sure to cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cook bacon according to your liking and cut up into small pieces, or you could buy bacon bits.
Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.
In a smaller bowl, mix dressing ingredients together to combine. Pour over salad and toss. Serve or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Video

Nutrition

The post Broccoli Salad with Bacon appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Ambrosia Salad

Lauren's Latest — Mon, 16 May 2022 07:39:00 +0000

If you want a salad that tastes just like dessert, Ambrosia Salad is the ticket! Made with fresh pineapple, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, coconut, mini marshmallows and stirred together with a whipped cream dressing, you will fall in love with this Ambrosia Recipe!! Delicious served with Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Broccoli Salad.

But First, What is Ambrosia?

Ambrosia (or Ambrosia Salad) is an American fruit salad typically made with a whole bunch of canned fruit tossed together with a creamy ‘dressing‘ commonly made with mayonnaise, whipped cream, cool whip, sour cream and or other ingredients. There are lots of variations of this recipe floating out on the internet and I submit that mine is the best.

Growing up, my Mom made her version of Ambrosia Salad and I HATED it. I have no idea what was in it besides canned fruit cocktail (hard pass). As a grown adult and now recipe developer, I set out to make an Ambrosia I could not only stomach but actually love, and friends, I did it! This is a creamy, sweet, coconutty and fresh tasting fruit salad you will love!

Mayonnaise vs Sour Cream

In several recipes online, I found it really interesting that they called for mayonnaise in the dressing. While I can understand how that could be a good savory ingredient in this sweeter salad dressing, I thought it made way more sense to use sour cream. Its flavor profile is lighter, tangier, and pairs better with the fresh pineapple and canned fruit. Plus it’s significantly lower in calories than the mayo.

Can I use Cool Whip instead of Whipping Cream?

Yes, you can! Cool Whip is the like the ugly stepsister of heavy whipping cream. It’s made with a lot of fake ingredients but it’s those ingredients that stand up well for days no matter what. So if you’re wanting to make this Ambrosia Salad waaaay in advance, Cool Whip might be a good option. However, the finished product won’t have quite the same mouthfeel that it would when using whipping cream. Again, it comes down to preference. I’d recommend real whipping cream.

If substituting Cool Whip for Whipped Cream in this recipe, use 2 cups of Cool Whip in place of the 1 cup of (un-whipped) heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar. Simply fold together with the sour cream and pour onto the fruit.

Ambrosia Salad Necessities

So, when first approaching this recipe, I did tons of research and based on my preferences added and omitted certain ingredients. I hate eating canned fruit that tastes like canned fruit, so my main goal of making Ambrosia was to make this recipe taste as fresh as possible while still using a few canned fruits. Of course, the specific increments and directions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Fresh Pineapple– you will use almost a whole pineapple for this recipe. Be sure to cut out the tough core and dice up the rest.
Mandarin Oranges– be sure to use the kind that are in a light syrup, not to be confused with the sugar-free syrup.
Maraschino Cherries– my kids love these so I ended up using a full 16 oz jar, but feel free to reduce this amount as you like.
Coconut– this is a sweet fruit salad so you can use unsweetened coconut here if you prefer, but the recipe calls for sweetened, desiccated coconut.
Pecans– another totally optional ingredient! Feel free to swap these out for other nuts OR just omit completely. You choose!
Mini Marshmallows– you cannot have Ambrosia without the mini marshmallows!
Heavy Cream– the basis for the creamy dressing.
Sugar– this recipe only calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons since everything else is so sweet.
Vanilla Extract– a really great underlying flavor to have to bring this whole dish together.
Sour Cream– the natural tanginess of the sour cream really creates that ‘fresh’ flavor you want when eating fruit, so it works really well with the canned.

How to make Ambrosia Salad

Hold onto your hats friends, this is the easiest recipe everrrr! It just involves a little whisking, chopping, and fridge time. For full recipe details, be sure to see the printable recipe card below.

Prep Fruit

Drain and chop your fruit. Cut the pineapple into bite-sized pieces being sure to remove the core and drain the mandarins and cherries really well. Place them all into a large bowl.

Add Coconut, Pecans + Mini Marshmallows

Measure and add in the coconut, pecans, and mini marshmallows.

Make the Dressing

For the dressing, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla together until stiff peaks form.

Fold in the sour cream to the whipped cream until well mixed. (A gentle hand and a rubber scraper will ensure you don’t knock out all the air!)

Pour Over Fruit + Combine

Pour the whipped cream over the fruit and stir to coat completely.

Refrigerate

Cover and refrigerate two hours or until ready to serve.

Making Ahead + Storing Leftovers

The beauty of this recipe is it gets better the longer it sits in the fridge! You can make this up to two days before serving. After 48 hours in the fridge, the marshmallows dissolve and the whipped cream loses its air and things start to turn watery. It’s still fine to eat (the fruit is fine!) but isn’t as good as on days 1 and 2. So I’d recommend two days max in the fridge before eating. Be sure to store in an airtight container while in the fridge.

Love Fruit? Try These Other Sweet Recipes:

Be sure to bookmark, save, pin or print this Ambrosia Salad recipe! It’s the only ‘salad’ out there that we can all agree on. Ha!

Have a great day, friends!

Ambrosia Salad

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fruit salad recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Refrigeration Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 369kcal

Cost $8

Ingredients

4 cups fresh pineapple cut into bite-size chunks (almost a whole fresh pineapple)
22 oz mandarin oranges 2-11 oz. cans, well drained
16 oz maraschino cherries 1-16 oz. jar, well drained
1 cup sweetened desiccated coconut
1/2 cup pecans chopped (optional)
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

Drain and chop your fruit. Cut the pineapple into bite-sized pieces being sure to remove the core and drain the mandarins and cherries really well. Place them all into a large bowl.
Measure and add in the coconut, pecans and mini marshmallows.
For the dressing, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until stiff peaks form. Fold in the sour cream to the whipped cream until well mixed. Pour the whipped cream over the fruit and stir to coat completely.
Cover and refrigerate two hours or until ready to serve. Stores well in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.

Nutrition

The post Ambrosia Salad appeared first on Lauren's Latest.