Macaroni Salad

1 box of Macaroni, or whatever pasta you want, I did the Medium Shells in the picture above.

1 can of Tuna or Chicken (I use Tuna if I have the good Costco Albacore, otherwise Fresh and Easy has a good premium can of chicken)

1 cucumber, peeled and quartered

Olives, sliced, however much you want

2 stalk of Celery, sliced

4-6 Green Onion chopped

1/4-1/2 cup Peas

Optional veggies that my Mom uses but I left out:

Radishes, sliced

Green and Red Bell peppers sliced.

Cherry Tomatoes

You can use pretty much any veggie you want to try in there.

Dressing:

1 cup Miracle Whip

1 heaping tsp. sweet relish

3 Tbs. Milk

1-2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce (you want to just barely tint the dressing)

Boil pasta according to directions. Chop all veggies and place in a bowl, once pasta is cooked and cooled put in bowl. Drain and wash meat and then I pull it out with my hands and smush it in between my fingers to make it small and distribute it in bowl, I don't like big chunks of meat. Combine dressing and gradually start adding until it is to your liking. It is best if you can make this up an hour or so before serving. It is better chilled.

Spaghetti Sauce (or for Lasagna)

1- 28 oz can crushed tomato
1- 8oz can tomato sauce
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. basil
ground pepper- I just do a few shakes from the shaker
Ground Beef- browned (Optional)

Mix everything but the ground beef in pan, bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add beef anytime after it boils. Add to spaghetti or into Lasagna. Great simple home made sauce. Thanks to my sister in law Kendell for sharing this one, my family loves it and it is easy and cheap to make! (My recipe is slightly different from hers but she makes it this way too and she is a great cook!)

Olive Garden's Alfredo Sauce

I got this recipe from a copy cat website and it tastes just the same, although the cheeses can be a bit expensive, BUT you can freeze them to make them last, just make sure you freeze them in the amount you need them for this recipe. This is Jeff's favorite dish out and so I made it for our anniversary one year.



1/2 Tbs Garlic Puree
1 cup Butter
1 qt. heavy whipping cream

4oz of whole or 2% milk

1/2 a pound of Parmesan Cheese (fresh if possible)
2 oz of Fontina cheese (found in the specialty cheese area)

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp of Pepper




In a saucepan brown Garlic Puree in some of the butter, add rest of butter and melt. Then add the Heavy Cream, milk, both cheeses, and salt and pepper. Stir on Med/High until cheeses melt and sauce starts to thicken (about 10 minutes). Turn heat to low and continue to stir occasionally, sauce will thicken more over the next 10 minutes or so. As it is simmering I like to add some steamed broccoli and cooked shrimp or chicken and then serve over fettuccine.

Pasta Salad (Chicken or Tuna can be added)

This salad can be made with Tuna or Chicken, but I like it without so I have never made it with either one.

Box of bowtie pasta (cook the pasta as directed)
1 can chicken, drianed and flaked (or tuna Optional!)
2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
Grape or Chrry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Add cooked, cooled pasta to the veggies and chicken.

In a small bowl, blend:
1 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
some black pepper
Add to salad mixture, toss to coat, cover and chill.

Thanks to my sister in law Melanie for this yummy salad!

Chicken and Pasta Salad

This recipe takes some time to prepare, but it is SOOOO worth it! Thanks to Laura for it!

16 oz. Bowtie Pasta
Chicken (as much or little as you want)
1 Bottle Kikkoman’s Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce
10 oz. Fresh Spinach, stems removed
6 oz. of dried Craisin’s
2- 11 oz. cans of Mandarin Oranges, drained
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
6 oz. Honey Roasted Peanuts

Dressing:

1 cup oil (I used Virgin Olive Oil)
2/3 cup Teriyaki Sauce
6 Tbs. Sugar
¼ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
2/3 cup White Vinegar

Blend dressing ingredients together and set aside. Cook pasta according to package instructions (al-dente). Toss pasta with dressing and let soak for about 2 hours.

Marinate Chicken in Teriyaki sauce for ½ hour then Grill. Cut up into bite size pieces. Toss all other ingredients in a big bowl with chicken, add pasta and as much of the dressing as you would like. DON'T MIX UNTIL JUST BEFORE SERVING!
Serves 20.