Dinner Party Recipes

We had some yummy food at our Dinner Party and wanted to share the recipes with everyone.

Chicken Salad (recipe courtesy of Kristy Councill)

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup (or more) finely chopped celery
1 cup (or more) seedless grapes, halved
1 cup chopped walnuts or 1 cup pecans 
1 small minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Miracle Whip or other mayonnaise of choice.

Serve on croissants or in lettuce wraps.

Sesame Pasta Chicken Salad (recipe courtesy of Elizabeth Moon)

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1/4 cup sesame seeds 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup light soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/3 cup chopped green onion

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 small bag spinach 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame seeds, and cook stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside. 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl. 

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper. Shake well. 

Pour sesame dressing over pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Gently mix in chicken, parsley, spinach and green onions.

Panzanella Salad (recipe courtesy of Lauren Marsh)

1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter
1 small French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 bunch asparagus, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/3 red onion, finely diced
15 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 oz. goat cheese

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bake bread cubes with salt and olive oil in a 375 degree oven until lightly brown and crisp, about 15-20 minutes, stirring often.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together. (This makes enough vinaigrette for two batches of this salad. I just refrigerate the leftover until I make the salad again.)

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, asparagus, red pepper, red onion, and basil. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Crumble goat cheese over everything and serve.

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We also had a couple of recipes that were brought in as tips. Thanks for sharing!

Italian Delight (recipe courtesy of Angela Probst)

1 lb bag egg noodles

3 cans tomato soup

1 can corn

1 lb hamburger

1 cup cheese

Boil noodles according to package directions. In a separate pan, brown hamburger and drain. Then add tomato soup and corn. Mix in noodles when done and add cheese. Stir on low heat until hot and well-blended.

Fresh Fruit Dip (recipe courtesy of Lillian Atkinson)

8 oz. package cream cheese

7oz. jar marshmallow creme

Combine softened cream cheese and marshmallow cream; mix until well blended. Serve with fresh fruit and cookies as dippers.

Variation: Add 1 T orange juice and 1 t grated orange rind to mixture. May also be served as a sauce over fresh fruit or shortcake.