Summer Salads!

What better way to keep the heat out of the kitchen than by having salad for dinner?  Here are some fun recipes to try in addition here are 20 Hearty Dinner Salads by Babble

Pantry Pasta Salad
by Tonya

A pasta version of Champagne Salad, made almost entirely of items that can be stored in your pantry.

14.5oz. box of pasta (rotini, ziti, wheels, bowties, etc.)
12oz. Girard’s Champagne salad dressing
2oz. pine nuts
4-8oz. pimentos (canned red peppers)
14oz. hearts of palm 6 stalks sliced
14oz. artichokes coarsely chopped
½-1 c. feta cheese
14 oz. black pitted olives
Cook pasta according to directions on box, strain off water. In a large bowl combine cooked pasta and all other ingredients. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

Summer Chicken Salad
by Claudia

6 cooked chicken thighs or 4 cooked chicken breasts ( you can use rotisserie chicken from your local groceries store)
2-3 tsp olive oil
McCormick roasted garlic and herbs spice.
1 bag of frozen corn
2 ripe avocados
4 roma tomatoes or grape tomatoes
Thin red onion slices
Yellow or orange sliced bell peppers
Greens ( I usually buy the 10 oz Marketside organic greens at Walmart)
Your favorite poppy seed dressing.
Optional: mozzarella cubes.

Add a couple of tsp of olive oil to a frying pan, place the chicken and spice it with the garlic and herbs spice. If you wish, you can bake it or grill it instead. You can skip the cooking step if you have rotisserie chicken. Once the chicken is cooked transfer it to a cutting board; cut the cooked chicken length wise as fajitas or in cubes. In the same pan, add the frozen corn and cook it until it gets all the brown bits from the chicken and until roasted. Add the corn to the greens to wilt them. Then add the avocados, the tomatoes, sliced onions, and chicken. Mix well to combine all the flavors. You can also add mozzarella cubes. Add your favorite poppy seed dressing.

Chicken Pasta Salad
By Claudia

Cooked chicken breast cubes
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

Doritos Taco Salad
by Food.com

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped lettuce
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can ranch style beans
1 (16 ounce) bottle Catalina dressing
1 (12 1/2 ounce) bag Doritos

Fry ground beef and add taco seasoning. Mix ground beef and ALL ingredients, except Doritos (unless you don't mind soggy), in a large bowl. Refrigerate. Mix in Doritos and enjoy!