Please help me round out a menu for a girlie-lunch of salads

[Hoggirl]

I am wanting to have about five women over for lunch. I would like to have a salad "trio." I would like to do the typical spinach/strawberry/blue cheese crumbles/nut salad with a vinaigrette. I also have a cold pasta salad with tomatoes, cukes, black olives, and red onions in it. I would like a chicken salad, but my recipe has both grapes and pasta in it. I don't want to be too fruity :D or too pasta-y. Anyone have a good chicken salad recipe that would complement these other two? Or, I thought about doing that yummy grape salad (can someone link, I can't find it - it has a brown sugar/nutty topping????), instead of the spinach salad, but then I felt like I needed something that had greens in it, kwim? Any other ideas for combos of three types of salad????? I am not locked into anything...just tossing around my initial thoughts.

 

Also, I would like to offer some kind of bread. Not from scratch - I am no bread maker! Something cheesy maybe????

 

I will do a lemony dessert.

 

Thoughts?

[Hyzenthlay in Pa.]

Chicken salad served in a tomato flower ?

 

BLT salad?

1lb.bacon , cut & fried crisp

1lb. cooked pasta

1lb grape tomatoes

large head or 2 hearts of romaine , washed a cut

stir dressing choice (mayo or salad dressing ) extra goopy into first 3 ingrediants, just before serving stir in romaine

 

I used to go out for a salad at lunch that had lightly steamed green beans, red pepper strips, dark greens , chunks of grilled chicken and a sweet bacon dressing.Yummy!

 

Bisquick mix biscuits with a little garlic powder & shredded cheese stired in, taste like the ones at Red Lobster? If you don't want to roll & cut, just make drop biscuits or bake them in a cupcake pan.

[mrs.m]

Put chicken in the pasta salad or in the spinach salad to give it some protein.

Scratch the chicken salad and make a fruit salad.

 

Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken (and your other ingredients)

Pasta Salad

Fruit Salad (maybe a grape, apple, or melon based salad?)

 

I would pick up bread from the grocery store bakery. Just see what they have.

[OnTheBrink]

You could do a curry chicken salad for a bit of a kick.

[KatieJ]

<DIV align=center>

This salad is a favorite of many! If you don't have wild rice readily available, I have used Uncle Ben's wild rice blend without the seasoning packet. Works great. FYI Byerilys is a high end grocery chain in Minnesota where wild rice is grown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BYERLY'S CHICKEN WILD RICE SALAD

Printed from COOKS.COM

2/3 c. mayonnaise

1/3 c. milk

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

3 c. cubed, cooked chicken

3 c. cooked wild rice

1/3 c. finely sliced green onions

1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 lb. seedless red grapes (1 c. halved)

1 c. salted cashews

Red & green grape clusters (opt.)

 

One cup wild rice and 4 cups water makes 3 to 4 cups and you cook the rice about 1 hour so it is tender. Blend mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice and poultry seasoning, set aside in large bowl. Combine chicken, wild rice, green onions, water chestnuts, salt and pepper. Stir in mayonnaise mixture until well blended. Refrigerate, covered for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, fold in halved red grapes and cashews. Garnish

 

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,181,158184-238193,00.html

Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

Edited May 10, 2011 by KatieinMich

[Jean in Newcastle]

I love chicken salad with curry in it and almond slivers.

[jasar31629]

We always go for a muffin of some kind with cold pasta salads or summery meals. Blueberry is a favorite here!

[SonshineLearner]

A small piece of quiche is easy peasy for going with salad... :) With summer coming up.. lots of filling choices...

:)

[MaMa2005]

Here is the chicken salad recipe I use. I have actually caught people scraping the bowl with a spoon:

 

A hot chicken salad with almonds, mayonnaise, cheese, and other ingredients.

Cook Time: 20 minutes

 

Total Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

 

 

• 2 cups chicken, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
  
• celery salt, to taste
  
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  
• 1 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  
• 2 ounces chopped pimiento, drained
  
• salt and pepper, to taste
  
• 1 small can French fried onion rings
  

 

Preparation:

 

Mix all ingredients except French fried onion rings; put in shallow greased baking dish. Cover with onion rings and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Serves 4.

 

Here is the grape salad recipe:

 

Ingredients:

 

Servings:

15 15 15Servings Size

 

 

 

• 
   
  Update
   
  

 

 

 

 

 

• 2 lbs green seedless grapes
  
• 2 lbs red seedless grapes
  
• 8 ounces sour cream
  
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste
  

 

 

Topping Ingredients

 

 

 

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste
  
• 1 cup crushed pecans, to taste
  

 

 

Directions:

 

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

 

 

 

1. 1 Wash and stem grapes.
   
2. 2 Set aside.
   
3. 3 Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended.
   
4. 4 Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
   
5. 5 For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
   
6. 6 Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.
   
7. 7 Chill overnight.
   

 

Have fun with the menu. Whatever you serve will be delicious.

[Hoggirl]

Put chicken in the pasta salad or in the spinach salad to give it some protein.

Scratch the chicken salad and make a fruit salad.

 

Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken (and your other ingredients)

Pasta Salad

Fruit Salad (maybe a grape, apple, or melon based salad?)

 

I would pick up bread from the grocery store bakery. Just see what they have.

 

I think I will add chicken to the spinach salad. I can take out the nuts and add water chestnuts for some crunch. Then I can make that grape salad with the nuts.

 

I probably should have mentioned that I do not care for curry. I forgot that many chicken salads use it.

 

Thanks for all the ideas.