Category: Salads

Copycat Olive Garden Salad

olive garden Salad 2Valentine’s Day is this Saturday…. Do you know what you’re cooking for your special someone?  Well I have an idea of what I am cooking.  I am going to create an Olive Garden experience right in the comforts of my own home.  My sister made up this recipe a few years back when I wanted to serve an Olive Garden style dinner menu for my daughter’s birthday party.  She went to the Olive Garden and counted the ingredients in the salad bowl.  That effort was a great start, but we needed more information to get it very close.  Fortunately my sister-in-law (who used to work at the Olive Garden) gave us some suggestions to perfect the recipe.  When I served this salad for the first time, it was paired with lasagna.  However, I have an amazing Chicken Alfredo recipe here on the blog that would be a wonderful addition to your Valentine’s Day menu.  

Here are the ingredients you will need:  1 (9oz.) bag of Italian Blend salad mix, 1/2 of a purple onion sliced, 3 Roma tomatoes sliced, 10 black olives, 5 Pepperoncini peppers, croutons, shredded Parmesan cheese, and your favorite Italian dressing. 

ingredients for salad Start by slicing the onion and tomatoes.

onion

 slicing tomatoesThen pour your salad mix into a large bowl.  If you didn’t want to use a salad mix, you could chop up romaine lettuce to fill the bowl.

lettuceThen add the onions and tomatoes.

adding onion

 

adding tomatoNext drain and rinse the olives.

olivesAdd ten olives to the salad and then add five Pepperoncini peppers.

peppersMix the salad together.  

mixed lettuceServe with shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, and Italian dressing on the side .

cheese croutonsNow you are ready to bring the Olive Garden experience into your home this Valentine’s Day.

Olive garden salad 3 Copycat Olive Garden Salad 4

 

Copycat Olive Garden Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 (9 oz.) bag of Italian Blend salad mix
  • 1/2 of a purple onion sliced
  • 3 Roma tomatoes sliced
  • 10 black olives
  • 5 Pepperoncini peppers
  • 1 bag of croutons
  • 1 container of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 bottle of Italian dressing

Instructions

  1. Start by slicing the onion and tomatoes. Then pour your salad mix into a large bowl. If you didn't want to use a salad mix, you could chop up romaine lettuce to fill the bowl. Then add the onions and tomatoes. Next drain and rinse the olives. Add ten olives to the salad and then add five Pepperoncini peppers. Mix the salad together. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, and Italian dressing on the side.
  2. Note: Double this recipe if you are serving it for a large group.
https://www.cookingupcottage.com/2015/02/09/copycat-olive-garden-salad/

Cucumber and Onion Salad

cucumber and onion saladThis is one of my favorite recipes of the summer! It is the perfect way to enjoy the fresh cucumbers that are abundant this time of year.  It is one of my dad’s favorites; he prepares it every summer. It has a sweet and tangy flavor like Tangy Pea and Macaroni Salad and Old-Fashioned Potato Salad. And did I mention…this recipe is super easy to make. So let’s get started.

First you need 5 cucumbers.

cucumbersNext peel the skins off of the cucumbers. 

pealing cucumbersCut the cucumbers into thin slices. The thinner the slices the more of the flavor they will absorb while sitting in the dressing. 

sliced cucumbersSlice your half of an onion and then cut each slice in half.

sliced onionsMix your cucumbers and onions together in a bowl.

cucumbers and onionsAdd the 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the bowl.

cucumbers and sugarAdd the 3 tablespoons of vinegar.

cucumbers and vinegarAdd 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

cucumbers and salt and pepperAdd just enough water to cover the cucumbers in the bowl.

adding water

Now mix everything until it is all combined.  Then put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to let the flavors combine and absorb into the cucumbers. Now you have the perfect addition to your next meal or you have a delicious, refreshing snack.

Cucumber and Onion Salad
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Ingredients
  1. 5 cucumbers
  2. 1/2 onion
  3. 1 1/2 cups sugar
  4. 3 tablespoons vinegar
  5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  6. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  7. water (just enough to cover cucumbers in the bowl)
Instructions
  1. First you need 5 cucumbers. Next peel the skins off of the cucumbers. Cut the cucumbers into thin slices. The thinner the slices the more of the flavor they will absorb while sitting in the dressing. Slice your half of an onion and then cut each slice in half. Mix your cucumbers and onions together in a bowl. Add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the bowl. Add the 3 tablespoons of vinegar. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add just enough water to cover the cucumbers in the bowl. Now mix everything until it is all combined. Then put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to let the flavors combine and absorb into the cucumbers.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/

 

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

I love this salad!  And if you love tomatoes, you will too.  It is so easy to make, and It is a great way for me to use the basil I am growing in my herb garden, which happens to be next to my back door.  If you didn’t grow any herbs this year, I highly recommend adding them to your gardening plans for next year.  In my garden I planted thyme, basil, oregano, chives, rosemary, mint, and cilantro. I mixed three to four plants in each planter.  Then I enjoyed watching them grow. They are easy to cut for recipes and it is very convenient having them close to my back door.  For this recipe I cut some of the basil to make this fresh and delicious salad. 

herbs My cat Mr. Big wanted to get in the picture.

herbs 2Now get out some tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese and let’s get started.

tomatoesBegin with a bowl of cherry tomatoes I used around 50 (16 oz. container) that you have rinsed.  

mozzerella cheeseAdd in 8 oz. of fresh mozzarella pearls and break them apart.

tomatoes and cheeseMix them together and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Then wash a few pieces of basil and add them to the salad.basilNow you can set the salad to the side and start making the dressing.  Mix 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl.

vinegar and oilAfter mixing the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil in a bowl, you can garnish each serving with the desired amount of dressing.

dressingNow you have a fresh and light salad to enjoy this summer.  

caprese salad 2

Caprese Salad
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Ingredients
  1. 50 cherry tomatoes (16 oz. container)
  2. 8 oz. package mozzarella pearls
  3. A few pieces of fresh basil
  4. 1/2 tsp. salt
  5. 1/4 tsp. pepper
  6. 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  7. 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
  1. Begin with a bowl of cherry tomatoes I used around 50 (16 oz. container) that you have rinsed. Add in 8 oz. of fresh mozzarella pearls and break them apart. Mix them together and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Then wash a few pieces of basil and add them to the salad. Now you can set the salad to the side and start making the dressing. Mix 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl. After mixing the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil in a bowl, you can garnish each serving with the desired amount of dressing.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/

 

 

 

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Old-Fashioned Potato SaladDo you have a favorite salad recipe? Maybe it’s apple salad, maybe coleslaw, maybe some green fluff salad you don’t know the name of.  As I look back on my childhood, I remember having an amazing potato salad that was one of my favorites.  It has that yummy, tangy flavor that I love!  Last week I decided to use my mom’s Old-Fashioned Potato Salad recipe for my garden party.  It was a hit!  This recipe makes a large batch, which served 22 people.  By the end of the party it was all gone; everybody loved it!  So it’s time to make an incredible side dish for your next BBQ and to do away with the idea of just buying that small container of potato salad at the store that nobody’s really going to eat.   

 You will need 5 pounds of potatoes, 1 dozen eggs, 1 (30 oz.) jar of Miracle Whip, mustard, 1 small onion, sugar, salt, and pepper.

ingredients for potato salad

Start by peeling your potatoes and cutting them in half so they are ready to boil.

pototoes for potato salad

Then put your potatoes in a pot filled with water.  Add a sprinkling of salt to the water.  Then once the water starts to boil, let them cook for 15 minutes.  After boiling the potatoes, drain them and set them to the side to cool.

boiled potatoesNow you can hard boil your eggs.  Put the 12 eggs in a pot and cover them with water. Bring the eggs to a boil on the stovetop.  Once they have started to boil, pull the pan off of the stove and put a lid on the pan. Then let the eggs sit on the counter covered for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes is up, you can run them under cold water and peel off the egg shells. 

eggs for potato salad After the potatoes and eggs have cooled down, chill them in the refrigerator. While the potatoes and eggs are cooling down in the refrigerator, you can dice your onion in small pieces.

onion

Next you can take your potatoes and eggs out of the refrigerator and you can chop them up into bite sized pieces.  Start with the potatoes.

chopped potatoes

Then chop the eggs into bite sized pieces.

egg for salad

Now mix the potatoes, eggs, and onions in a large bowl.

mixed ingredients

Finally you can mix your dressing in a bowl. Take your (30 oz.) jar of Miracle Whip and scoop it into the bowl.  Yes this recipe calls for Miracle Whip, not mayonnaise. Do not substitute mayonnaise because it will have a different taste.

miricle whip for potato salad

Now add your 1/4 cup mustard, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

mixed dressing

Now pour the dressing over your chopped potatoes, eggs, and onions.

mixed potato salad

Mix together. Now you can chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Bring it to your next BBQ or serve it with supper.  Get ready to have people ask you for the recipe!

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
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Ingredients
  1. 5 pounds of potatoes
  2. 1 dozen eggs
  3. 1 small onion
  4. 1 (30 oz.) jar of Miracle Whip
  5. 1/4 cup mustard
  6. 1/4 cup sugar
  7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  8. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
  1. You will need 5 pounds of potatoes, 1 dozen eggs, 1 (30 oz.) jar of Miracle Whip, mustard, 1 small onion, sugar, salt, and pepper. Start by peeling your potatoes and cutting them in half so they are ready to boil. Then put your potatoes in a pot filled with water. Add a sprinkling of salt to the water. Then once the water starts to boil, let them cook for 15 minutes. After boiling the potatoes, drain them and set them to the side to cool. Now you can hard boil your eggs. Put the 12 eggs in a pot and cover them with water. Bring the eggs to a boil on the stovetop. Once they have started to boil, pull the pan off of the stove and put a lid on the pan. Then let the eggs sit on the counter covered for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes is up, you can run them under cold water and peel off the egg shells. After the potatoes and eggs have cooled down, chill them in the refrigerator. While the potatoes and eggs are cooling down in the refrigerator, you can dice your onion in small pieces. Next you can take your potatoes and eggs out of the refrigerator and you can chop them up into bite sized pieces. Start with the potatoes. Then chop the eggs into bite sized pieces. Now mix the potatoes, eggs, and onions in a large bowl. Finally you can mix your dressing in a bowl. Take your (30 oz.) jar of Miracle Whip and scoop it into the bowl. Yes this recipe calls for Miracle Whip, not mayonnaise. Do not substitute mayonnaise because it will have a different taste. Now add your 1/4 cup mustard, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Now pour the dressing over your chopped potatoes, eggs, and onions. Mix together. Now you can chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Cooking Up Cottage https://www.cookingupcottage.com/