mayonnaise

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

This classic potato salad recipe, handed down from my grandma to my mom and then to me, has their secret tips that makes it the very best every single time.

It may be a pretty bold to claim, but saying this potato salad recipe is the best is a statement I’ll totally stand behind.

I’ve shared several variations of potato salad recipes here on the blog including my German potato salad, a creamy dill potato salad, my no-mayo potato salad with herbs, a bacon and sour cream loaded baked potato salad, and even more. But this salad is the one that readers have made a top recipe here on the blog, and definitely ranks as my personal childhood favorite.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make the Best Creamy Coleslaw

My favorite creamy coleslaw stays crunchy, not soupy, and gets a bit of bite in this slightly sweetened, vinegar-spiked coleslaw dressing.

Potato Salad. Baked Beans. My favorite Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad. Those recipes have always made up my barbecue buffet table daydreams. But coleslaw? It was always on the bottom rung of my side dish desires. Show me the shredded cabbage bowl and watch me skip right on by.

But my husband? He’s a coleslaw connoisseur. It’s usually the first thing he goes for. But that doesn’t mean the bites he gets are always good, and that puts our home’s king of slaw down in the dumps.

But this creamy coleslaw recipe always gets not just one, but two big, Big, BIG thumbs up from my man. And now me, too.

It isn’t goopy. Nor is it soupy. And it’s far from overpowered by the bite of raw onion. This here coleslaw, folks, this is the best I’ve ever eaten. And the man agrees.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Creamy Coleslaw

Easy Coleslaw Dressing

This easy homemade coleslaw dressing gives the crunchy classic cabbage salad a tangy bite with creamy mayonnaise and cider vinegar’s zing.

Backyard barbecue and summer potlucks wouldn’t be the same without a classic coleslaw salad on the table. It’s the perfect side car to grilled chicken, the best grilled salmon, my very favorite garlic burgers and is a necessity when it comes to pulled pork sandwiches.

I make my best creamy coleslaw recipe with this same homemade dressing, but it can be used for even more than just lushing up cabbage, and that’s why it’s worthy of a recipe post of its own.

I eat coleslaw dressing on basic crunchy iceberg salads with cucumber and tomato, or drizzled on baked potatoes instead of sour cream. And it makes an awesome dip for fresh veggies on a platter or to dip in for a snack.

Some creamy coleslaw dressings use a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise with flavorings that run the gamut of grated onion to worcestershire sauce to mustard and lemon juice.

But why go through all those paces? Let’s keep this dressing simple.continue to the recipe… about Easy Coleslaw Dressing

How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

This homemade tartar sauce recipe with capers, mayonnaise, and a splashy tang of pickle juice is the perfect topper—and dipper—for fish fillets of every flavor.

A naked fish fillet is exactly that: naked. Whether it’s a healthy-ish fried fish sandwich, every kid-at-heart’s favorite fish stick, or a more adult-ish grilled salmon fillet, fish is meant to have a saucy topper, and there’s no more classic a dipping sauce for fish than a tangy tartar sauce.

I’ve shared plenty of times here on the blog that my husband and I met as servers at a seafood restaurant. You could say our fate was sealed while falling in love with each other and the best clam chowder, steamed clams, and tartar sauce we dished out daily to the hungry crowds.

This tartar sauce recipe is the same they still serve at our old stomping grounds of Market Street Grill, and it’s the one we find ourselves lavishing on fish dinners time and time again. continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

There’s no need to buy it from the shelves, homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is one of the easiest, and tastiest, dressings to make from scratch.

I have a go-to salad dressing that I have to admit, I’m rather famous in the family for.

It’s a vinaigrette with tarragon and is made in our house on a rotation of at least once a week. Why haven’t I posted it on the blog yet? I’m asking myself that same question. I need to remedy that stat.

This homemade buttermilk ranch dressing isn’t one I make too often, but when I do, it is pretty much drizzled, dipped and guzzled down so there’s never much left over. I’m sharing it today as a preview of what’s coming your way tomorrow, where it is going to lace not a salad, but a sandwich that will leave you wishing for one more handful of potato chips, and just one more drizzle and dip of ranch dressing, because as Smudge declares, “Mom. This. Is. So. Good.”

She’s right, you know.

see more: Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Creamy Ranch Sauce

Ranch Dressing Ingredients

This dressing gets its tang from the combo of mayo, sour cream and buttermilk. I used full-fat ingredients, but if you want to create your own lower calorie versions, you can simply sub low-fat mayo, sour cream or give Greek yogurt a try. Buttermilk is naturally low-fat so you’re in the clear there. I like my dressing on the thicker side (reflected in the amounts in the recipe below), so add more buttermilk to your preference.

Fresh herbs are essential here, but I do like to use dried dill in this recipe as it’s a bit more concentrated in flavor. If you simply don’t have the fresh herbs, go for dried, a much better option than skipping altogether.

You’ll find the recognizable taste of ranch comes from the nugget of garlic in the dressing. I pretty much always prefer pressing my garlic, but if you don’t have a garlic press, simply mash the garlic in 1/8 teaspoon of salt to create a paste then add to the rest of the ingredients.

continue to the recipe… about Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Creamy Dilled Red Potato Salad

This easy potato salad skips the mustard, egg, and celery to keep things super simple with a sauce of mayo and sour cream (or healthy Greek yogurt) over slightly smashed baby red potatoes to create a super creamy potato salad that’s brightened up with a dose of fresh dill ready to eat any day of the year.

“This is my new favorite potato salad” he declared as he scooped another forkful straight from the mixing bowl and into his already munching mouth.

I gotta admit, I was somewhat shocked by my husband’s declaration.

“But what about my Mom’s Classic Very Best Potato Salad?” I retorted. ‘It’s a total classic! It’s always been our favorite! And it’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog!” And by the way, had he totally forgotten about my German Potato Salad and my Loaded Baked Potato Salad, too?

If I had to guess the reason he loves this potato salad so much, it’s because it’s so perfectly creamy without the extra crunches of celery or pickles, so it’s a more similar bite to his favorite baked potato with just a bit of onion to add a little heat and dill to add that fresh factor. But even better, it’s so simple to make.

It’s creamy. It’s dreamy. And it’s delicious.

continue to the recipe… about Creamy Dilled Red Potato Salad

Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe

A simple mayonnaise dressing lightly coats the classic ingredients of homemade macaroni salad, fancied up with bay shrimp for an easy side dish made perfect for every barbecue, picnic, or potluck.

Updated: This recipe one of my main go-tos for nearly every summer BBQ dinner I host or bring something to. So after re-visiting this recipe so many times this summer and looking at the old photos, I knew it needed a refresh. I hope you’ll enjoy the new look of one of my favorite salads, too.

Isn’t it funny how so many favorite recipes come from the kitchens of cooks who don’t consider themselves anything other than average? They aren’t culinary trained, they haven’t worked behind the line at fine restaurants and have never fathomed the thought of authoring a cookbook. Or even a food bloggity blog.

But those cooks, they all have at least one recipe they can rock in the kitchen.

That’s the secret to this Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe. Years of experience and good, old-fashioned, home cooking.

continue to the recipe… about Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe

Macaroni Salad with Smoked Mozzarella and Proscuitto

This easy, tangy pasta salad mixes traditional macaroni salad with Mediterranean flavors to create a new family favorite potluck salad.

Common etiquette rules that if you’re invited to a friendly BBQ, you offer to bring something to add to the pot.

So when I ask the big question, I often hear, “Sure that would be great. How about a side dish?”

Many hosts think they’re doing you a favor by offering the wide berth of side dish options. But this simple phrase can throw some self-respecting cooks into a triple gainer upside down axel with a spin.

Bringing a “little something” to a barbecue or potluck shouldn’t be that hard, but the vast spectrum of “side dish” gets some of us sideways.

But it doesn’t have to be like that at all…continue to the recipe… about Macaroni Salad with Smoked Mozzarella and Proscuitto

Curried Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

Curry and onion powder add an exotic heat to the traditional egg salad sandwich, making it fit for an every day breakfast, lunch or elegant brunch.

This post is the first in my year-long partnership with McCormick, because I’m a firm believer that we can all use a little spice in our lives.

Back in the day I could peel an egg like no other.

As a kid, I vividly remember my Uncle Tom showing me a magic trick. “Hey, Heidi, do you want to see something special?” Well, of course I did! I was 10 years old! How could I not?

Uncle T knew how to make a presentation out of just about anything so when he showed me how he could peel an entire shell from a hard boiled egg in one movement, I was transfixed! The shell easily fell from the white orb in his large hand in one complete, in-tact ribbon.

It became my mission to master the peeling of an egg just like Uncle Tom did. And I did! For years.

And then my success came to a screeching halt.

I don’t know what my deal is, but for the life of me I can no longer peel an egg without it ending up as a shaggy semblance of what I see others pulling off all of the time.

That’s why today’s recipe is an egg salad sandwich instead of deviled eggs. Because who wants to see a deviled egg that looks like it’s been hacked with a jig saw when you can be making this delicious curry-spiked egg salad sandwich instead?

continue to the recipe… about Curried Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

Crab Cake Poppers

These past few weeks I’ve spent an absurd amount of time with some amazing food bloggers. Absurd to me only because I’m not sure I could have ever imagined the reality of my journey from an office stiff to a travel-when-the-opportunity-strikes online content creator.

While the time I spend ensconced in my home office or toiling away at the library allows me plenty of alone time, these blogging trips and the relationships I’ve created with my fellow bloggers are the glue that binds my love for what I do.

I love creating ebooks, magazines and photography, but creating recipes is the part of the job that truly, mainly because it’s part of my life, it’s what I do to survive. To make food and eat it.

continue to the recipe… about Crab Cake Poppers

Stetson Chunky Potato Salad

If I had my druthers—which I often do—I’d skip the traditional main protein (chicken or meat) and instead go for a selection of side dishes. I’d much rather have a taste of this and a bite of that, a smattering of tastes to satisfy my undecided thanks to so many options cravings.

When I shared my Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing recipe I mentioned I’d be sharing a few new recipes with you this summer. Potato salad is one of my all time favorites, and lucky for me, there are plenty of options out there. Mayonnaise based, olive oil based, some with pickles, some with herbs and more, more, more. I may never run out of recipes and flavor combinations to try.

continue to the recipe… about Stetson Chunky Potato Salad

Hot Crab Dip and Friday Faves

Yes sir! It is FRRRRIIIDAY! And that means my work is just about to begin.

This weekend will be jam packed: A photo shoot on the mountain (snow, skis and sunscreen), a video shoot with kids and dogs (what was I thinking?), green food eating—and drinking—and somewhere along the line the toilets need to get cleaned. I bet I can find volunteers for just about everything on my to-do list the above minus the last item. Which is the only one I REALLY don’t want to do. So, maybe I won’t!

Life is about living, not about toilets. It’s about dressing up dogs in funny outfits—in video shoots with kids. Oh, poor Pippa. And who is the tween who took over my daughter’s room and threw-up teen dreams all over it? That’s why you spend time living, not doing toilets, because it goes way, way too fast.

How did a week go by, or maybe even two, where I haven’t posted a recipe with cheese? Let’s remedy that toot sweet. And how about we add some crab? Now there’s an idea.

I’m heading to a St. Paddy’s day party on Sunday and will be taking my Stout Brownies, as requested, but thought I better bring a little something more in hand besides my green chardonnay.continue to the recipe… about Hot Crab Dip and Friday Faves

A Tale of Two Egg Salad Sandwiches

Once upon a time, as in yesterday, there was a family divided.

They made their choices, they took sides. Neither would budge to accommodate the other.

It was a battle of the egg salads. One recipe made with the traditional deli-style mayonnaise. One recipe made with sweetened up, home school Miracle Whip.

My allegiance to Miracle Whip had remained steady throughout my youth, including my favorite after school snacks of cheddar cheese topped Triscuits with a schmear of Miracle Whip. My favorite sandwich was egg salad–and Miracle Whip was my flavor enhancer of choice.

And then it happened. On a trip to New York City I discovered the purity of mayonnaise. A corner deli egg salad sandwich made me a convert. I had switched sides. I was now a mayo lover.

continue to the recipe… about A Tale of Two Egg Salad Sandwiches

Pork Belly Sliders and Recipes for Superbowl Bites

I have a long tradition with the Superbowl, and most of them I even remember past the 3rd quarter.

Now let me just say, in my defense, those memories usually depended upon which team I picked to win. And sometimes I wasn’t such a good picker.

Back in the day when my friends and I still thought we could hang like we did in college, if your chosen team was scored upon in any which way, it was a side game bet for our fellow party goers to see just how easily us losers could traverse crawling OUT the living room window, dropping DOWN to the driveway and partaking of a penalty shot. Oh. How. Dumb. In. Our. Youth. Yet another reason I’m thankful my twenties are in my rear view mirror.

This year, given my beloved 49ers are out of the running, it REALLY, really, really is all about the food: making, eating and grazing again.

G-dawg was fiddling around with a recipe for Pork Belly—which turned out deliciously—to top Ramen—that failed miserably—so we had a bunch of the bacon-ey slabs of love left over.

Always a fan of pork in any form—especially when it’s salty, peppery and crusty—he pulled together a quick and delicious version of a Banh Mi sandwich but in a manageable mini variety.

He’s a good cook that boy.

continue to the recipe…

Craving > 5 Updated Chicken Salad Recipes

Chicken Salad. It can so easily go so wrong and seem trite, the catch-all recipe for the catered office lunch or duty-calls bridal shower. But by adding an unexpected and flavorful ingredient, chicken salad can be oh-so-divine.

photo > foodiecrush

Here’s my take on Chicken Salad, crunchy with celery and toasted almonds then sweetened up with sliced grapes and earthed up with curry and tarragon. Served on big old slices of hearty wheat bread, this is one version that has full-fledged-flavored. I add a lot more celery to this recipe than listed below because I like the crunch, so follow the recipe as is or adapt to your own cravings.

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Curried Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds and Grapes

Ingredients

4 bone-in chicken breasts with skin
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup red seedless grapes halved
1/3 cup almond slivers toasted
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 T orange juice
1 1/2 T curry powder
1 1/2 T fresh tarragon chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken with olive oil and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until juice of chicken runs clear. When chicken has cooled, remove skin from breasts and shred chicken meat, discarding bones and skin. Mix in large bowl with onion, celery, grapes and almond slivers and set aside.
In a medium size bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, orange juice, curry power, salt and pepper.
Add mayonnaise mixture to chicken mixture and gently combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on a bed of spring or butter lettuce or hearty wheat bread with lettuce.

Nutrition Facts

Curried Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds and Grapes

Amount Per Serving (6 g)

Calories 0

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

photo > Plum Pie

Plum Pie’s crunchy –thanks to the pecans and apple– and sweetly tart –thanks to the cranberries and tangy Greek yogurt— Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is light and even healthy, and is a hit with the savory twist thanks to Brooke’s addition of rosemary.

photo > Skinny Gourmet

Studded with some of cooking’s most under-used herbs of caraway (one of my favorites when sauteed with cabbage) and anise seeds and a touch of cumin, Skinny Gourmet‘s Irish Chicken Salad Sandwich on Soda Bread is deliciously sandwiched between slices of her husband’s family recipe for Irish Soda Bread. Looks like she now has another family recipe to hand down.

photo > Heat Oven to 350

Adapted from a Southern recipe for pimento cheese sandwiches, Nicole geniusly added shredded chicken to create a cheesey-chicken-wonderland-on-toast with Heaven to 350 ‘s recipe for Pimento Cheese Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

photo > Closet Cooking

You knew we had to highlight at least one recipe that has some serious spice and is far and above the expected chicken salad. Meet Kevin’s Kimchi Chicken Salad Sandwich. Kimchi sauteed in bacon grease? Woo-hoo, a new favorite is born in the kitchen of Closet Cooking.

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How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make the Best Creamy Coleslaw

Easy Coleslaw Dressing

How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Ranch Dressing Ingredients

Creamy Dilled Red Potato Salad

Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe

Macaroni Salad with Smoked Mozzarella and Proscuitto

Curried Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

Crab Cake Poppers

Stetson Chunky Potato Salad

Hot Crab Dip and Friday Faves

A Tale of Two Egg Salad Sandwiches

Pork Belly Sliders and Recipes for Superbowl Bites

Craving > 5 Updated Chicken Salad Recipes

Curried Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds and Grapes

Ingredients

Instructions

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

mayonnaise

Ranch Dressing Ingredients

Curried Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds and Grapes

Ingredients

Instructions

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