Radiator Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is a favorite at any big party. I'm always asked for the recipe. It's not exact amounts, mostly done to taste. It's better after it's sat for a day, but can be served once it's assembled. It's called "Radiator Pasta Salad" because of the noodles. You could use any type of noodle, but these are the best for this salad.

This is what they look like once they are cooked.

The best part about this salad is the candied slivered almonds. You make these by toasting slivered almonds in a small amount of butter, about a tablespoon, with some sugar, about 3 tablespoons. 

One bag of cooked pasta will make a very large amount of salad. I always ALWAYS use Kraft Coleslaw. Any other brand is not as good. It's hard to find. For one bag of pasta, I use about 3/4 a bottle of dressing. I also add a can of pineapple tidbits, and two cans of mandarin oranges, drained.

The chicken is cooked on a grill, outside in the summer, inside on a griddler in the winter. I season with Montreal Steak Seasoning. I know this sounds strange, but this is what makes the salad taste really good. 

Once the chicken has browned I let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes to cool. 

Once cool, add to the salad. I know these examples look super burnt, but they were really good in the finished product. 

Finally, add some cut up grapes. I use green and red, but only had red on hand for the picture. If you make this a day in advance, only use half the almonds and cover the top of the salad with the remaining almonds just prior to serving. 

Radiator Salad: 

1 16oz bag of Radiator noodles boiled to al dente (still firm, but not crunchy)

1 bottle of Kraft Coleslaw dressing

1 Tbs. Mayo

1 can Pineapple Tidbits

1 cans mandarin oranges

2-3 cups green and red grapes, cut in half

1-3 chicken breasts grilled with Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 Cups sliced almonds cooked in 1 Tbs butter and 3 Tbs Sugar until brown

      *Add half of the almonds with the salad, the other half on top when you serve. 

Dijon Chicken Linguine

This dish was AMAZING! I found the Recipe off of Pintrest.
It was very good and something I will totally make again! YUMM!!!

DIJON CHICKEN LINGUINE
Serves 4

1 package cooked Linguine
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chanterelle mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan over medium low heat. Add chicken breasts, garlic, season with salt and pepper and continue to fry the chicken until completely cooked.
Remove chicken from pan and hold in a warm oven.

Add to the pan:

4 oz white wine

Simmer until volume is reduced by half. Then add:

2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to season.
Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a metal spoon. Return Chicken to the sauce, add the chanterelle mushrooms and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Serve over cooked linguine. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.

Spaghetti Pie

When I was growing up I remember my mom making this dish once in a while. It was always a favorite. Now, as we are all grown, my brothers have had their wives make it for them. I decided to make it last night, I haven't had it since I was a young girl. It was as good as I remember. I made three of them to freeze two for later.

This recipe came from a cook book that specialized in everything MICROWAVED. It's old, it's from an old Betty Crocker book (I think) probably a wedding gift for my parents in 1977.

SPAGHETTI PIE

1 1/2 C. Cooked Spaghetti
2 eggs
1/3 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

The original recipe called for 6 oz. of spaghetti, but that must be DRY spaghetti because 6 oz. cooked was a very small amount. Shown above I weighed out 1 lb or 16 oz. that was a good amount!

Mix and put in 10 in. pie plate and form into a crust. Microwave for 2 minutes on high.

Fill with 1 C. Cottage Cheese

Next, fill with Spaghetti Sauce

(The recipe calls for the following, but I just cooked some onion, green pepper, 1/2 sausage 1/2 ground beef and mixed with botteled sauce.)

1lb. beef or pork sausage
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/4 C. chopped green pepper
1 8oz. can of tomatoes - diced
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Cook and place on top of cottage cheese:

Cover with Mozzarella cheese (1/2 C.) and cook in microwave until melted (about 3 minutes) Cook for 1 more minute and let sit for 8 minutes before serving. A pretty fast little dish!

It's really yummy!