Picnic Pasta Salad -- One Dish Meal |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 10 |
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A terrific, portable, one-dish meal made from items you probably have in your pantry and fridge. Good for a packed lunch when you don't want sandwiches (just keep it chilled in the cooler), or good for a cold meal at home on a hot day. Best made the night before. Ingredients:
1 lb macaroni, cooked and cooled (or other preferred pasta) |
1 -2 cup diced ham (ham you cut from a real ham is leaner than lunch meat ham or other processed ham products) |
1/2 lb diced mozzarella cheese or 1/2 lb diced swiss cheese or 1/2 lb diced provolone cheese |
1/4 cup minced sweet onion (optional) |
1 lb frozen green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces |
4 -6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped |
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped |
1/4 cup cider vinegar |
1/4 cup olive oil or 1/4 cup canola oil |
1/4-1/2 cup mayonnaise |
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning |
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (i prefer heinz brown) |
1/4 teaspoon celery seed |
Directions:
1. Mix all salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients together until smooth and well-blended.
3. Toss salad ingredients with dressing until well-blended.
4. Let sit, refrigerated, at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
5. Note: Additional vegetables can be added substituted if desired. Frozen broccoli florets or chopped cucumber are particularly good. But if you add a lot of extra veggies you might need an extra half batch of dressing.
6. Note: It is not necessary to thaw the frozen veggies if making it the night before.
7. Note: Fresh beans, snapped to size, can be used raw for a crisper texture or they can be blanched and cooled first.
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