This is the one item I’ve taken places that people always ask the recipe for.

Asian Chicken Salad
Layer and don’t mix until shortly before serving

Either canned chicken or cut up pieces of cooked chicken
Pour a bottle of Lighthouse Ginger/Sesame dressing over to “marinate” the chicken
Slivered carrots
Sugar snap peas
Mixed lettuce

Easy Crock Pot Baked Beans

1lb NAVY beans, washed and picked over (not soaked overnight)
1 vadalia onion diced
1/2 lbs bacon of your choosing (applewood smoked is nice)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (or more to your taste)
1 tsp salt
Hot water to just cover beans and melt sugard, stir well
Place bacon in bottom of your crock pot.  You do not have to cut but can leave it in one hunk if you like.  Carefully poor the bean mixture into the crockpot. Do this early in the AM and put on low heat and they should be ready by supper. In the first few hours of cooking you will want to check the liquid level, you may need to add more water and perhaps sugard if necessary. After a while you will not need any more water.  Do not over water. If not getting soft by afternoon you can turn crock to high.  Enjoy!

People always enjoys this black bean, corn, and edamame salad. It’s easy to make, healthy, and a change from the usual pasta salads and potato salads. Here’s a link to the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/healthy-garden-salad/ . (Instead of grape seed oil I just use olive oil)

At any family gathering, there must be “Grandma’s Mac-n-Cheese.”  My grandmother always made this and now my children love it. 

2 cans cheddar cheese soup
milk the equivalent of one can of soup
2 cups of cheese whatever you have in the house.  That’s the key.  Grandma just used what she had so it tastes slightly different every time. The only one she ALWAYS had in there was Extra Sharp cheddar.  I think that often she had Parm and Romano.
onion powder (to your family’s taste)
paprika (a shake or two)

Make the above while you are boiling/cooking to bags of LARGE elbow noodles. Layer in a 13x9 baking pan, pouring the cheese mixture over it and stir a bit to coat.  Then sprinkle Italian bread crumbs all over the top.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 mins until it gets a nice “crunchy” crust.  My cousins and I used to fight over who would get the crunchy bits. 

You can serve this hot or at room temp.

Taboulli!  When you have ripe tomatoes and fresh mint from the garden, it is a winner.  I use the recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook, or just get the Near East brand taboulli mix and embellish it with fresh tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and garlic.    You need bulgar if you are making it yourself - I get it in the health food section at Kroger’s - the Bob’s brand.  Because it doesn’t have any mayo, you don’t have to worry about leaving it out.

Here are two easy faves!
Strawberry Salad from a sweet first year teacher friend:
Dressing~Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well:  1c vegetable oil, 3/4c sugar,(can cut down on or substitute with stevia etc…) 1/2c red wine vinegar, 2cloves minced, 1/2t salt, 1/2t paprika, 1/4t ground white pepper.
I take with to mix in last minute.
Toss with salad ingredients~
1 head romaine lettuce, and 1 head butter lettuce, clean and shred.
1pint strawberries, sliced
1c shredded monterey Jack cheese
1/2c chopped walnuts, toasted

BBQ chicken sandwiches~
Combine ingredients in crockpot:
2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1/2c hot water, or I used 2/3c chicken broth,
1/4c brown sugar
1/4c vinegar
1tb soy sauce
1/2c catsup
sliced onion
salt
enough chicken to feed your family-boneless skinless breasts or thighs work best.

Place chicken in crockpot, Sprinkle with salt and top with as many onion slices as desired.  Combine rest of ingredients and pour over onions.  Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.  Great served on potato rolls as sandwiches.

hope these help!
*JMJ*

Bean Salsa is fast, easy, and super tasty!

1 can shoepeg corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can white beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can rotel with lime and cilantro
1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/3-1/2 cup sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing

Mix and chill at least 3 hours.