Mom’s Simple Pasta Salad

This recipe is something my mom has been making since I was a little girl.  She says she got the recipe off the back of the box.  It is really simple and delicious.  I make it whenever I have a summer picnic that I need to bring a quick dish.  It is better when it is made the night before or at least a few hours in advance so that the flavors can really permeate the dish.  Also, be sure not to leave it out too long, as it does have mayo in it.

  • 8 oz shell pasta (I don’t know why but shell pasta makes this taste fabulous, no substitutes)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp celery seed
  • 1 Roma tomato diced
  • 1 cup celery finely diced
  • 3 tbsp green pepper finely diced
  • 3 tbsp pimentos (optional but I never use it)
  • Celery leaf tops and radish rose for garnish (optional – if your entertaining)

NOW, follow these instructions very closely:

  1. Cook pasta
  2. Cut veggies
  3. Cool pasta
  4. Mix all ingredients
  5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours
  6. Eat it. Like It. Smile accordingly.

DON’T COMPLICATE IT! IT IS PERFECT THIS WAY. TRUST ME.

Aug
8

INDIVIDUAL CHICKEN POT PIES

Chika-pot, chika-pot, chicka-pot-piiieee!  Yesterday, I came home from the office with the full intention of creating my own chicken pot pie recipe.  After checking the mail, I saw that I had my new Pillsbury magazine waiting for me.  Wouldn’t you know that this month the title of the magazine was Pot Pies & Casseroles.  I flipped through and realized I couldn’t make a single pot pie they had listed because I was missing one ingredient or another.  So I was back to the drawing board, or cutting board as it would have it.  Here was my yummy creation. 

Chicken Pot Pie 008I cut up one skinless, boneless chicken breast into 1”x1” bite sizes (that is all I had defrosted – two would have been better).  I salted and peppered the chicken and added it to a med-high skillet with a little vegetable oil.  I cooked the chicken for about 4 minutes and then pulled it out draining it on a paper towel.  I drained and rinsed a can of diced new potatoes and threw those in the hot skillet.  I cooked them for a minute or two to brown a little and then I added about 1 cup of frozen veggies.  For my veggies I had the carrots, peas, lima beans, green beans and corn mixture but any combination of a pea and carrot mix will work for this recipe.  I stirred those for a short minute.  Then in a bowl I whisked together one can of cream of chicken and herb soup with 1/2  cup of milk. When I thought the mixture looked thin enough, I added it to the skillet.   I returned the chicken to the skillet and added a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley and 1 1/2 tablespoons of my Italian Seasoning (recipe on this site). I seasoned with salt and pepper. I let the mixture bubble slightly and then I divided it into 6 small ramekins.  I opened a can of PillsburyChicken Pot Pie 015 flaky biscuits and tugged them each slightly so they would cover the majority of the ramekin. I then brushed the tops of the biscuits with a tiny bit of butter and sprinkled a little more Italian seasoning on top. I baked them in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. The biscuits came out high and crispy with a wonderful flavor.  I suppose you could leave all of the mixture in your skillet and put all the biscuits on top to bake and this could be a one-dish meal.  I would definitely make sure that the biscuits are cooked all the way through the sauce mixture and aren’t still raw in the middle. Also, please be sure to use a oven-safe skillet… plastic melts in a hot oven.  :)

Aug
8