Chopped Muffuletta Salad

I’m a huge fan of muffuletta sandwiches. I’ve made them many times, and usually with my own olive salad. My wife is a lover of olives, too. And boy did we ever love this chopped muffuletta salad!

Chopped Muffuletta Salad

This twist takes the classic muffuletta sandwich and turns it into a great side salad. Full of all the things that make a muffuletta great, such as salami, provolone and olives! This chopped muffuletta salad is a wonderful change. And it’s great if you’re skipping the bread but miss the taste of the sandwich!

This recipe is based on a recipe from The Fromagetta.

Chopped Muffuletta Salad
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4 from 1 vote

Chopped Muffuletta Salad

I’m a huge fan of muffuletta sandwiches. I’ve made them many times, and usually with my own olive salad. My wife is a lover of olives, so it works out for all of us!
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword olives, salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 204kcal

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 24 pimento-stuffed green olives halved
  • 4 ounce pimentos diced, drained
  • 4 ounces provolone cheese cubed
  • ½ cup peperoncini drained, stemmed, and sliced into rings
  • 1 head romaine lettuce rinsed and chopped (note: make sure you dry the lettuce completely after rinsing)
  • 4 ounces dry salami sliced into strips
  • ¼ red onion finely dices
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved

For the vinaigrette

Instructions

  • Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Gently toss to mix.
  • Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar. Seal and shake until well combined.
  • Serve salad in bowls, lightly drizzled with the dressing. Do not dress too far in advance of serving or the salad will get soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 977mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1577IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Potato and Green Bean Salad

Here lately I’ve found myself watching The Best Recipes Ever on CBC. I didn’t really need to watch another cooking show, but the recipes on this one caught my eye. This potato and green bean salad is the first one I’ve made and although my version came out looking a bit different than the original, it was pretty good.

Potato and Green Bean Salad

Don’t Over-Dress

There are two things you have to keep in mind when making this potato and green bean salad. Some people have an aversion to cilantro, so you might want to use parsley instead, or at least cut back on the cilantro. Also, don’t just toss the dressing into the salad all willy-nilly. Add a little. Stir, taste, and check the consistency. It’s easy to add too much dressing (and I was dangerously close to having too much dressing on mine!).

I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

Also try my country green beans.

Potato and Green Bean Salad
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4 from 1 vote

Potato and Green Bean Salad

A nice twist on the traditional potato salad.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword green beans, potato salad, salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 90kcal
Author Kary Osmand

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Salt a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until just tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.
  • Add beans and 1/2 cup of the cilantro to the potatoes and gently toss to mix.
  • Mix together the mayo, sour cream and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir into potato mixture.
  • Refrigerate for 4 hours.
  • Serve garnished with remaining cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Mason Jar Salad

We often have a salad with our dinner. Sometimes, you want to mix it up a little. Make it  look a little different. These Mason jar salads did just that. Great greens, juicy explode-in-your-mouth tomatoes, and a few croutons, all topped with homemade dressings. It might be just a salad. But put it in a jar and everyone ‘oooohs’ and ‘aaaaahs’. Just like they do for my classic wedge salads.

Mason Jar Salad

Eating Out Of A Jar Is Fun

You can put anything you want into these salads. As long as it’ll fit through the jar opening. I used jelly Mason jars since they are big around the base. They also have a large mouth, making it easier to get to the salad.

For dressings, I like to make jars of my homemade Catalina dressing or homemade Italian dressing.

Mason Jar Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Mason Jar Salad

We often have a salad with our dinner. Sometimes, you want to mix it up a little. Make it  look a little different. These mason jar salads did just that. 
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • Toppings cherry tomatoes, croutons, cubed or shredded cheese, diced onion or cucumber, etc

Instructions

  • Cut the bottom off the lettuce. Then, cut it into 2″ (depending on how deep your jars are) pieces. Insert the pieces into the jars then top with your desired toppings and serve.

Nutritional values are approximate.

Cowboy Caviar

This marinated black-eyed pea salad (aka Cowboy Caviar) is absolutely fantastic. It is great as a side for grilled burgers or dogs… anything! The celery adds a really nice crunch. Take this along on your next pitch-in and everyone will love it. Like me, they will think that it’s the best kicked up pea salad ever.

Cowboy Caviar

A Great Fresh Bite

This recipe for Cowboy Caviar came from the July 2013 issue of Chile Pepper magazine (no longer in publication). The recipe was originally from Liberty’s Kitchen in New Orleans, which is committed to helping teach under-served youth in a culinary setting. So not only do they have a great mission, they also have a great black-eyed pea salad!

Also try my Buffalo Cowboy caviar and my Georgia caviar recipes.

Cowboy Caviar
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4 from 1 vote

Cowboy Caviar

This marinated black-eyed pea salad (aka Cowboy Caviar) is absolutely fantastic. It is great as a side for grilled burgers or dogs… anything! 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword bean salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 280kcal

Ingredients

For the cilantro lime vinaigrette

For the salad

  • 3 15 ounce black eyed peas rinsed and drained
  • 1 large sweet onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 4 stalks celery diced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
  • Cilantro lime vinaigrette (from above)

Instructions

  • Prepare the vinaigrette by placing all ingredients into a bowl and whisking well. You can also puree them in a blender.
  • Make the salad by combining all ingredients and tossing to coat.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 557IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Avocado with Crab-Mango Salad

This avocado with crab-mango salad is a great dish as an appetizer or a side salad. It’s light and refreshing and darned tasty to boot! This is the perfect salad for a warm summer brunch, combining crunchy and creamy textures into each and every bite. And of course there’s decadent crab throughout.

Avocado with Crab-Mango Salad

One Fantastic Salad

Use a good quality lump crab. I made these by using a cookie cutter to form them. You can also just use an avocado half, with the pit removed of course, to serve them in like little salad bowls!

Also try my avocado wraps with spicy mayonnaise and my ham salad filled avocados.

Avocado with Crab-Mango Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Avocado with Crab-Mango Salad

This avocado with crab-mango salad is a great dish as an appetizer or a side salad. It’s light and refreshing and darned tasty to boot! 
Course Side Dish or Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword avocado, crab, salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 325kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lime zested and halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
  • ½ mango peeled and diced
  • cup red bell pepper diced
  • cup red onion diced
  • ½ jalapeno diced
  • ½ pound crabmeat jumbo lump
  • 3 avocados cut into 1/4″ bites

Instructions

  • Squeeze half a lime into a bowl. Add the oil and cilantro and mix well.
  • Add the lime zest, mango, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno and mix well.
  • Add the crab and mix gently.
  • Drizzle the remaining lime juice over the avocado.
  • Place 1/4th of the avocado in the bottom of a large round cookie cutter or metal ring. Tamp down slightly with the bottom of a spoon.
  • Add in 1/4th of the crab salad and tamp down. Slowly remove the cookie cutter. I put a spoon on top of the salad mixture to hold it down while removing the cookie cutter.
  • Repeat with remaining avocado and crab salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 960mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 959IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Tangy Broccoli Salad

There’s no reason to have a lame side with dinner. I admit it, I spend most of my time concentrating on the main dish, with the side dish being just that… a side thought. I’m working to change that, and this tangy broccoli salad is a great example.

Tangy Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Needs Help And Here It Is

As easy as this is to make, it really makes broccoli shine. I usually end up serving broccoli in some dish where it has been cooked until soft. But served raw with a great dressing is where it really shines.

You can also make this tangy broccoli salad using cauliflower. Or get the best of both worlds and make my broccoli cauliflower salad! And my version of Martin’s broccoli salad is amazing too!

I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

Tangy Broccoli Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Tangy Broccoli Salad

There’s no reason to have a lame side with dinner. I admit it, I spend most of my time concentrating on the main dish, with the side dish being just that… a side thought. I’m working to change that, and this tangy broccoli salad is a great example.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword broccoli, salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 6 -12
Calories 102kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble.
  • Combine the mayo, sugar and vinegar in a large bowl.
  • Stir in the bacon and remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 667mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1263IU | Vitamin C: 182mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Mexican Cornbread Salad

I admit it, I was a bit skeptical when I read over this recipe for Mexican cornbread salad for the first time. Cornbread? Good. Ranch dressing? Good. But the two together? Hmmmm. Not so sure. But, it really came out very good. Why was I such a skeptic? Every bite has all of my favorite flavors. 

Mexican Cornbread Salad

I’d Add Some Kick….

Depending on who you’re serving this Mexican cornbread salad to, I’d add some pickled jalapenos , or add some Creole seasoning to the Ranch before using it. But, that’s just me. I like a little spicy kick to my dishes. Not too much, though.

For the cornbread mix I like to use Jiffy. But your favorite brand will work just as well, too.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.

Also try my quick and easy taco salads.

Mexican Cornbread Salad
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4 from 1 vote

Mexican Cornbread Salad

Each and every bite has all of my favorite flavors. 
Course Side
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword cornbread, Mexican, salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 155kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Make the cornbread batter per package instructions. Stir in the green chiles and bake as directed. Let cool.
  • In a glass bowl, crumble half of the cornbread. Spread out evenly.
  • Add layers of the following: 1 can of beans, 1 cup dressing, 1/2 of the green bell pepper, 1 can of the corn, 1 tomato, 1/2 of the bacon, 1/2 of the cheese and half of the green onions.
  • Repeat with another layer, starting with a layer of the remaining cornbread.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 506IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Ham Salad Filled Avocados

These ham salad filled avocados reminded me of a similar dish we used to eat in Lima, Peru. They’re fresh, light, and very tasty. The salad is nice and creamy and smooth and would be great just by itself. The mandarin oranges add a fantastic explosion of citrus flavor. Finally, there’s the perfectly ripe and creamy avocado. These ham salad-filled avocados are a perfect light lunch on a summer day.

Ham Salad-Filled Avocados

You Can’t Go Wrong With Avocados

Fortunately, avocados were on sale here last week. They’re very versatile and probably my favorite fruit. They’re definitely my favorite when they are filled with salad.

I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.

Also try my avocado and crab-mango salad.

Ham Salad-Filled Avocados
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5 from 1 vote

Ham Salad-Filled Avocados

These ham salad filled avocados reminded me of a similar dish we used to eat in Lima, Peru. They’re fresh, light, and very tasty. The salad is nice and creamy and smooth and would be great just by itself. 
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword avocado, ham, salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 456kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut avocados in half and remove the seeds. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Pre-cut into segments if desired, but don’t cut all the way through the fruit.
  • In a small bowl, gently combine the celery, ham, 3-4 mandarin segments, and mayo and season to taste.
  • Spoon into the avocados and top with a few more mandarin segments and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 392mg | Potassium: 1042mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 2029IU | Vitamin C: 82mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Bean Salad

Well, this was supposed to be a garden bean salad, but thanks to the bad drought this year, beans are hard to find. So, I used canned beans instead. I was very happy with the results. Delicious beans and crunchy onions, all in a tangy vinegar dressing.

Bean Salad

Kinda Like My Mom’s Bean Salad

You can pretty much use whatever beans you like or have on hand. Just make sure that you rinse them well first. And then drain them well. You want to get rid as much of the liquid as you can.

This salad is very much like my mom’s salad, except that it uses red onion instead of white, and apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Both versions are great. I also love making (and devouring) my 7-bean salad.

Bean Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Bean Salad

This salad is very much like my mom’s bean salad, except that it uses red onion instead of white, and apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Both versions are great.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword bean salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 116kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the onion in a bowl of water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain well.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Drizzle in the oil while still whisking.
  • Place the beans in a large bowl. Add in the onions and dressing. Mix well. Sprinkle with the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
  • Let set at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Deviled Egg Salad

I love deviled eggs. I love egg salad. Now I can have them both in a deviled egg salad. And I don’t actually mind making them even if pealing the eggs can take a while when you’re making a big batch. This recipe from Simply Recipes takes all of the classic flavors of deviled eggs and puts them into a great salad.

Deviled Egg Salad

I Am Hard-Boiled Egg Challenged

I recently bought an egg cooker. To be honest, I had no hopes of it working. But it does! It makes hard-boiled eggs (and other styles) perfectly every time. I was shocked. The model I have is no longer available. The one below is similar and has a few cool features that mine does not. This little device keeps me from embarrassing myself when I mess up making hard-boiled eggs. It’s worth every penny!

Also try my cool-and-crunchy egg salad.

Deviled Egg Salad
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5 from 1 vote

Deviled Egg Salad

This recipe from Simply Recipes takes all of the classic flavors of deviled eggs and puts them into a great salad.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword deviled, eggs, salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 241kcal
Author Simple Recipes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Boil the eggs and peel them. Coarsely chop.
  • In a large bowl, place the eggs, green onion, celery, and red bell pepper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the mustard, mayonnaise, wine, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Fold the dressing into the eggs mixture.
  • Chill for at least 2 hours.
  • Serve sprinkled with a little paprika.

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 377mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1028IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.