A variety of salads for summer occasions

By Susan McClanahan

It's all salads today to help get through these hot, summer days. Whether you are eating at home, or taking to a get-together, these salad recipes are sure to please just about everyone on the guest list.

You don't have to stick to the rules on these salad recipes -- be creative and adjust ingredients to suit your family's preferences and taste. Stay cool everyone!

Creamy Deviled Egg Layered Pasta Salad

The dressing in my Creamy Deviled Egg Layered Pasta Salad is just the best dressing. Creamy, egg-y, tangy and bold! It pairs perfectly with all the wonderful vegetables and pasta for the perfect flavor combination.

• 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 12 hard-boiled eggs, divided
• 8 ounces pasta, cooked and drained

Dressing:

• 1 avocado
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard
• 1/2 cup low-fat mayo
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salad:

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup julienne cut red sweet pepper
• 1 cup julienne cut yellow sweet pepper
• 1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup colby and Monterey Jack cheese, finely shredded
• 2 green onions, sliced thin

For the dressing: Place six hard-boiled egg yolks in a food processor. Add avocado through salt to the eggs. Puree until smooth. With processor running, slowly pour in olive oil. Continue to process until creamy and smooth. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

For the salad: In a large, clear glass salad or trifle bowl assemble salad layer. In bottom of bowl place a layer of baby spinach. Top with peppers and a layer of pasta. Cover pasta with a layer of Deviled Egg Creamy Vinaigrette. Continue to layer onions, cucumber, remaining sliced hard boiled eggs, another layer of pasta and the snap peas. Top with remaining Deviled Egg Creamy Vinaigrette. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon and green onion. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24.

Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

Sweet and tangy strawberry spinach pasta salad with orange poppy seed dressing is the perfect potluck side dish for every backyard barbecue, party and get-together.

• 8 ounces penne noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup salted cashews, or other nut like pecans or walnuts

For the Orange Poppy Seed Dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• Fresh orange zest, to taste
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• Optional: pinch of salt and pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well. Set aside. Combine penne, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, cranberries and cashews in a large bowl and toss with the prepared dressing.

Serve immediately or cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.

Loaded Pasta Salad

This loaded pasta salad is just perfect for a quick, toss-together salad to take along to a pot-luck dinner or a backyard barbecue. The dressing is delicious and the ingredients go perfectly together.

For the salad:

• 2 cups of cooked pasta of any shape
• 2 cups of steamed baby broccoli florets
• 4 diced slices of bacon
• 1/2 cup of diced sharp cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons ranch seasoning mix
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, mix all of the dressing ingredients together well.

Mix the salad ingredients with the dressing until well combined and chill for 2 hours or so.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

A lightened up bow-tie pasta salad with all the delicious flavors of a Caesar Salad. Perfect for a summer picnic, potluck or barbecue gathering.

If you are making the dressing from scratch, you may be tempted to leave out the anchovies, but it is highly recommended that you use them. It adds such a rich, salty flavor and makes such a positive influence on the dressing.

For the dressing: (Or use 1 cup of your favorite Caesar Salad Dressing)

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 2 anchovy fillets
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 3 cups of farfalle pasta, cooked according to package directions and cooled
• 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into halves
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 cups cooked chicken breasts, diced (grilled, roasted or rotisserie would work great)
• 1 cup croutons

To make the dressing: In a small food processor or a high speed blender, add all the dressing ingredients and puree until creamy and smooth. Or alternatively, you may add all ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until mixture is well-blended. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed, and add 1 to 2 teaspoons milk or water if needed to thin out the dressing to your desired consistency.

To assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix the pasta with enough dressing to coat evenly. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Toss in the rest of the ingredients, except for the croutons. Pour the remainder of the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and croutons. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours.

Frito Corn Salad

Frito Corn Salad is wonderfully creamy with lots of shredded cheddar cheese and crunchy, salty Frito corn chips.

• 1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) Fiesta corn, drained
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 bag (9.75 ounces) barbecue or chili cheese-flavored corn chips

Place corn in a large bowl. Stir in mayonnaise and sour cream. Add onion and cheddar cheese and stir to mix. Just before serving, sprinkle corn chips on top.

Green Chile Bacon Cornbread Salad

This cornbread salad is a loaded layered salad made with amazing green chile bacon cornbread.

• 6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled, divided (reserve 1 tablespoon bacon grease)
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk
• 2 ounce can diced green chilies drained
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease.

In a large bowl combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and sour cream to butter/sugar mixture.

With mixer speed on low, add the milk and dry ingredients, a 1/3 at a time, alternating between wet and dry. Do not over mix.

Slowly add in green chilies, cheese and 1/2 cup chopped reserved bacon. Pour mixture into greased baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

After the Seafood Boil Potato Salad

If you are planning a big seafood boil event, this potato salad is the result of the perfectly seasoned potatoes and seafood left over from the seafood boil. You may want to add in extra potatoes and seafood to be sure you have leftovers.

• 2 cups leftover cooked and picked seafood (shrimp, crab meat and/or crawfish tails)
• Leftover boiled red-skin potatoes
• 1 cup real mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Creole or other spicy mustard, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 3 large boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• Salt and pepper, only as needed, to taste

Heat leftover potatoes in the microwave just to warm through. Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay and Creole or Cajun seasoning. Add to potatoes while warm and toss. Add onion, celery, eggs and seafood to potatoes and gently toss, adding additional mayonnaise as needed for desired creaminess. Taste and add salt and pepper, only as needed. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to allow flavors to develop. Keep refrigerated. Just before serving, sprinkle the top very lightly with additional Cajun or Creole seasoning for garnish, if desired.

Cook's Notes: No leftover seafood boil potatoes? Boil 3 pounds of red potatoes in water with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons crab boil, until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes, depending on their size. Drain potatoes well and set aside until cool enough to handle, then dice. Add mayonnaise mixture while potatoes are still warm and proceed with recipe. It's OK to substitute imitation crab. If you're using raw shrimp, season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and saute in butter until no longer translucent. Let cool.

Have a great week and, until next time, happy cooking.