Nana's Mandarin Chicken Salad - Day #4 Thanksgiving Spectacular

Today is Day #4 of our Thanksgiving Spectacular!  Every day is just amping my excitement for the big Turkey Day!  I've seen so many delicious dishes this week on the web - its just mind blowing!  I keep wanting to change my own menu!  Hard to not deviate but alas, I've already shopped!  Good thing or else I'd end up making 40 dishes for just a few of us.  Anyways, please enjoy today's recipe.... see you tomorrow for a guest post from Siggy Spice and don't miss our Sinful Saturday with the easiest caramel sauce that is to *die* for.  Oh and forgive the less than lovely picture...couldn't find my good camera that day.  :(

This recipe comes from my mom.  I'm not entirely sure where she got it...but all I know this makes its appearance at her holiday table every year along with birthday dinners, bridal showers, etc.  Its everywhere she goes because its so dang delicious.  This is surely one of her 'signature' dishes because she's been asked how its made a billion times now.  You just can't mess this up since its practically foolproof.  Its offbeat and its certainly not traditional but it brings a nice change as a first or second course.  The colors just pop and make an elegant presentation on any buffet or holiday table.  Its great because you mix it just hours, or even the night beforehand, and you're done practically as it sits and 'marinates'.  Fast and easy on holidays is always a plus in my book!

I was never a poppyseed lovin' kind of girl but man, this salad converted me on the spot.  Its a lovely sweet and sour tangy flavor that matches well with every part of this dish.  You will NOT be disappointed.  Its just refreshing, crisp, tangy and everything that a salad should be.  And the best thing - kids LOVE the mandarins.  This is a wonderful way tasty way to entice them into eating more greens!

Yummy bite sized pieces of goodness!

Mandarin Chicken Salad


2 bags of ready made salad mix (preferrably Mediterranean or European versions)
2 package of Louis Rich chicken chunks. (oven roasted or Italian)
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained well and reserved
Croutons, well seasoned variety
Seedless green grapes, halved
2 cups cheddar cheese
Jar of Marzetti’s Poppyseed dressing
Nuts, optional



About one or two hours before you’re ready to serve this, toss everything together including the dressing in a large bowl EXCEPT the oranges and croutons.  Stir to coat everything evenly. Place in your serving container and cover and chill till ready to serve.

Gently add oranges before serving.  Serve with croutons and nuts, if using.  (just put them in their own dishes to allow people to add on their own)


PS:  I've also served this with those crispy chow mein noodles for topping instead of croutons.  Hubby loved that.  And I've also stirred in some pomegranate flavored Craisins to bump up the fruity flavor.  That is my favorite variation!

Coming tomorrow - Siggy Spice's twist on cranberry sauce!  

Lazy Day Macaroni Salad & Mega Big Announcement!

I had a perfectly lazy weekend, did you?  Hubby and I stayed up till 4 am Friday night watching TV and slept in till noon on Saturday.  Then we skipped lunch and went to a special holiday tasting sampler at The Fresh Market here in Columbus followed by Christmas shopping.  Sunday was just as kicked back and relaxed, including our menu for the day.  To keep in line with the easy peasy weekend I was having, lunch today was a totally different take on macaroni salad than I've ever had before.

This recipe from Amynb on Tasty Kitchen has been in my 'favorites' for awhile but I'd never ventured to make it.  I'm always leery to make a recipe with no photos since I generally like to gauge my end result to theirs.  Boy, was I glad to take a gamble on this one.  Its coleslaw flavoring meets macaroni salad.  It was fresh, new and utterly fabulous.  This dish came together in a snap and used just a handful of ingredients.  Better still, it was just as delicious warm as it is cold.  (hey, I had to taste test!)  I only tweaked it a bit, adjusting to our palates but feel free to check out the original up there by clicking on Amy's name.  It was really massively yummy.  And as a bonus, once warmer weather rolls around, this will be perfect for picnics since there isn't any mayonnaise to go bad on you!  I LOVE THAT!

Click to enlarge.

Macaroni Salad
 from Amynb @ Tasty Kitchen, tweaked by me

• 1 pound box Elbow Mac (or your choice of macaroni shape - I used cavatappi)
• 1 whole Small Onion Chopped
• 2 stalks Of Celery, Chopped
• 4 whole Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped
• Paprika, Salt  & Pepper to taste
• Approx. 1/8 cup sugar  (again, to taste)
• 1 cup Marzetti's Original Cole Slaw Dressing (or more to taste)
• 4 whole Hard-boiled Eggs, Sliced (as edible decoration on top, optional) 

Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box.

While it cooks, chop your onions, celery, and eggs.

When pasta is cooked, drain. While it is still warm add the cole slaw dressing, onions, celery, chopped eggs, and add sugar, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Mix together well, adding more dressing if you desire
.
Place salad in your serving bowl. Smooth out the top and place the sliced eggs on top. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

* Oh, wait!  Yeah, my MEGA BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!  If you didn't catch it on Facebook, keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming Thanksgiving Spectacular with a triple feature from Siggy Spice, Thecountrycook and me! You won't want to miss this!  *

Nom Nom - It's Labor Day!

This Labor Day, being in a new house, in a new state, I decided to try something, well, new to our plates as well.  At most holidays, we make a Coca-Cola Ham, deviled eggs, cheesy hash brown casserole and a cake.  This year I wanted to mix it up a bit.  And it's so dang hot still in the south, I wanted a break from being over an oven all day long.  (people keep trying to re-assure us that its actually 'cool' down here right now but I'm not biting)

Pineapple Whip drink

Today's menu started with a refreshing pineapple whip drink.  Its so easy to make, you'll wonder why you never thought of one on your own beforehand.  I'm so addicted to the Blue Bell ice cream that's found down south here anyways so it was just perfect for this drink.  Pineapple juice, ice cream and frozen pineapple.  Zip in your blender and boom!  Its just that easy.  Of course, it was supposed to have a garnish but um...I eated it.  Creamy, frothy and cooling - it was the perfect drink for my meal.  I think next time though instead of pineapple juice, I will add a different layer of flavor and use orange juice or maybe go half and half pineapple and orange.  In any case, its delicious and so easy to do.  I think these would make great frozen popcicles too!  Or maybe add a splash of rum for an adult treat.  Lots of possibilities! 

New-Dorf salad and Marilyn Monroe sammies

Next on my plate was a New-Dorf Salad from my wonderful friend Siggy Spice.  Crunchy, cool, crisp and sweet - this was definately a hit with my husband who went back for seconds then thirds.  Celery, grapes, Craisins, apple and vanilla yogurt.  (its supposed to have a crunchy almond topping but I'm allergic so I left them out)   You could use regular raisins but I went the route Siggy did and used pomegranate flavored Craisins.  It just added another layer of goodness in the flavor rainbow there.  I loved it.  I think next time I might grate a little lemon zest over top or some mint just to add another bit of zing to it.  Not that it isn't outstandingly fabulous on its own..I'm just a food tweaker. <3 me some Siggy Spice.

Next was the most glorious sammie named Marilyn Monroes.  I have no idea why they're called that but man, they sure were the star of our plates.  I used thick sliced EverRoast chicken from the deli, pepperoni's and mozzerella cheese.  The thing that puts this over the top though is a secret ingredient you'd never imagine.  GARLIC POWDER!  You butter your bread slices then sprinkle them with garlic powder and let me tell you what, you'll wonder why you're not doing this to every grilled sammie you make.  This sammie was like pizza meets garlic bread, meets chicken.  Then to top it all off, you dip it in pizza sauce.  *shebang!*  It was gooey, cheesy, garlicky goodness all between two pieces of sourdough bread.  Its so good, we're having it for dinner too.  LOL

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

And finally, dessert was about as pain-free as you can get. Brownie cookies using a box mix.  Once all put together, this mix needed to set for two hours to chill so I made this first while I made lunch and watched a movie.  Then we baked these little bites of chocolatey goodness.  So yum!  Well, you can see for yourself!  Slightly crisp on the outside, soft, chewy like a brownie on the inside and the chocolate chunks just put it WAAAAY over the top.  Too, too good and don't forget the BIG glass of milk with this.  So rich and decadent, you can't have just one.  Well, maybe one PLATE!  lol

Well that was my holiday menu - easy to do, let me enjoy my day and veg on my couch watching television with Jon.  I wasn't slaving in my kitchen over a hot stove...well, save for the cookies!  But they were worth it to sink my teeth into some warm brownie cookies!  All of these recipes can be found at Tasty Kitchen by clicking on the the links above.  

Brandie's pic from Tasty Kitchen

Ooh and let me clue you into the WORLD'S BEST PORK CHOPS evvvvvvvvvver!  I found them over at Tasty Kitchen too from a lovely woman named Brandie.  I am oh so serious when I say this.  The best ever.  Period.  You may *think* your grandma made the best.  No.  Wrong.  These are.  As in, I will never attempt to make another pork chop fried, baked or otherwise.  Life changing.  (and make her chicken philly too - its equally as amazing and I was awe-struck to realize two of my favorite recipes came from the same person)  Make these.  Do not pass go.  Do not question.  Just make and enjoy.  I served mine over egg noodles and they were *DIVINE*. 


Pork Chops and Gravy - by Brandie (thecountrycook)

• 4 whole Bone-in Pork Chops
• 1 envelope Onion Soup Mix (1 Oz. Packet)
• 1-½ cup Chicken Broth
• 1 can (10.5 Oz) Cream Of Chicken Soup (low Sodium)
• 1 envelope Dry Pork Gravy Mix (1 Oz. Packet)

Place pork chops in slow cooker. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients and pour over chops. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes to take advantage of all the yummy gravy.

Cook’s Note: You may want to also use a low sodium chicken broth if you are sensitive to salt. You can always add salt in later if you feel it necessary. Also, try other cream soups, like cream of mushroom with this dish.

Anyways...I hope you had a great Labor Day.  Mine was uber nice sitting with my slew of moving boxes still trying to unpack.  I have no room.  I need a bigger kitchen.  Until next time!