by Tammy L Mahan

Created on: November 22, 2008   Last Updated: September 14, 2010

Salads can make a healthy side dish or a light meal any time of the year.
Needless to say there are numerous salads to choose from and some of the best salads you can prepare only require a little imagination on your part.

I have chosen a few of my favorite family loving salad recipes to share with you.

#1 Traditional Tossed or Green Salad

~ Ingredients ~

2 cups of Iceberg lettuce

2 cups of Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup sliced cucumbers
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup of black olives
12 red onion slices
12 green pepper slices (circular)
1/4 cup of fresh radish (cut)
3 celery stalks (chopped)
1 cup of green onions (diced)
1/4 cup of restaurant style croutons
3 tablespoons of bacon bits
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese


~ Preparation ~

In a large bowl combine all your ingredients, save the cheese and croutons to sprinkle on last. Serve with your choice of salad dressing. Serves 6


# 2 Pasta Salad

~ Ingredients ~
1- 16 ounce box of pasta noodles (cooked)
2 + 1/2 cups of Italian salad dressing
1- large cucumber (peeled, sliced and diced)
1 - large ripe tomato (chopped)
1/2 cup black olives (chopped)
1/4 cup of pepperoni (sliced in halves)
1/2 cup of sharp cheese (cubed)

~ Preparation ~

Mix all of your ingredients in a large bowl and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator so the Italian dressing is absorbed by other ingredients. Serves 6


# 3 Potato Salad

~ Ingredients ~

8 large potatoes white (cooked and cubed)
1 cup of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 cup of onion (diced)
1/2 cup of green onions (diced)
1/2 cup of celery (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 tablespoons of seasoning salt
1 tablespoon of dry mustard
1 tablespoon of fresh basil
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley

* Dressing *

1 cup of half and half
1/4 cup of sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise

~ Preparation ~

In a large mixing bowl combine your (cool) potatoes, bacon, onion, green onion, garlic, celery, seasoning salt, basil and parsley and dry mustard, mix well. Then pour your dressing over the top of the salad and stir until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer to a serving dish. Serves 6


# 4 Fruit Salad

~ Ingredients ~

2 - 8 ounce cans of fruit salad (drained)
1 can of pineapple chunks (drained)
1 cup of watermelon (chopped)
1 cup of melon (cantaloupe and honeydew - chopped)
1 cup of red grapefruit (chopped)
2 - 12 ounce tubs of whipped topping

~ Preparation ~

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix, refrigerate an hour or until chilled. This is a colorful tasty tropical fruit salad. Serves 6

# 5 Chef Salad

~ Ingredients ~

4 cups of lettuce (your choice)
1/3 cup sliced cucumbers
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup of black olives
8 red onion slices
8 green pepper slices (circular)
1/2 cup of baked ham (deli style sliced and cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 cup of smoked turkey breast (deli style sliced and cut into bite size pieces)
1/3 cup of pepperoni
1/4 cup of restaurant style croutons
3 tablespoons of bacon bits
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheese

~ Preparation ~

Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl and divide onto plates. You can add numerous other ingredients to this recipe including roast beef, chicken, sliced peaches or even nuts.

Salads are a great pot luck dish as well especially around the holidays and during the summer BBQ months.

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