Easy simple Summer Picnic Salads

Easy simple Summer Picnic Salads

While it seems our summer is winding down, I know it's just hiding for a few days and will come back for one more big hot performance. So today, I am focusing on some summer side dishes that go great with those late summer and early fall picnics.

Red Tater Salad

Summer Salad Recipes

6 Cups of Small Red Potatoes, steamed, cut in half.

8-10 Slices of Lean Bacon, fried crisp, cut into ½ inch pieces

¾ Cup Celery, with leaves, cut into ¼ inch slices

1 Medium Red Onion, Chopped

½ Cup of Mayonnaise

½ Cup Ranch Dressing

Salt and Pepper to taste

Using a large bowl, pour in your mayonnaise, ranch dressing and mix. Add your warm but not hot potatoes, celery, onions and mix again. Taste the aggregate and add your salt and pepper at this time, then mix again. Add the bacon just before serving so it does not become soggy and mix once more.

The aggregate of the mayonnaise and ranch dressing adds someone else level of flavor to the salad with out having to add more ingredients.

Blt Pasta Salad

3 Cups Corkscrew Pasta, cooked

½ Cup Milk

5 Cups of Bibb Lettuce or Romaine Hearts, chopped coarse [mixture of both will work too]

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

8 Slices of Bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces, cooked crisp

1 Clove of Garlic, minced

½ Cup Mayonnaise

¼ Cup Sour Cream

Salt and Pepper

Add cooked pasta to a medium bowl, mix in the milk and set aside. The milk will keep the pasta from sticking together and becoming one large lump.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and garlic. Add the pasta with milk and stir. Add ¾ cup of the tomatoes, the lettuce and bacon. Fold together until all are coated with dressing. Taste and add the salt and pepper if needed. Pour into your serving platter or bowl and sprinkle the rest of the tomatoes on top. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

I hope you find joy in serving whether or both of these recipes to your families. They are easy to make and can be done before hand and still taste great.

I not only use these recipes for picnics but any day of the week when I am finding for something to please my family and friends. They are also good for those pot luck meal events we get invited to straight through out the year.

Quick, Easy and simple is the name of my game....What's yours?

Easy simple Summer Picnic Salads