The Perfect Weeknight Meal

Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get back into the groove of everyday life. For some of you, that means weeknights packed with sports practices, music lessons, homework, social commitments and more. Sometimes it's a challenge to get a wholesome meal on the table! Make-ahead main dish salads can be a refreshing change for your easy weeknight dinners or can spruce up those "brown-bag" lunches at work.

BROCCOLI, GRAPE, and PASTA SALAD

Broccoli and chopped red onion along with crisp fried bacon give the salad we're making today a fresh, full flavor. Serve this tasty pasta salad alone or with a cream soup for a filling lunch or a delicious brunch contribution. (Suggested soups: Pat's Chicken Corn Chowder, p. 19; Easy Potato Soup, p. 26; Loaded Baked Potato Soup, p. 27; Rich and Creamy Dutch Oven Potato Soup, p. 31 in "A Pinch of This... A Smidgen of That" cookbook. Details below on how to obtain a copy.)

A make-ahead recipe for great salad is like money in the bank when it comes to easy weeknight meals – and this is one of the best I've tried. The short ingredient list leaves you plenty of time to whisk together fresh Creamy Red Wine Vinegar Dressing that is oh so good! The colors make an impressive (and nutritious) presentation, while the ingredients in this salad form a combination of flavors and textures that complement each other perfectly.  

Before we collect our ingredients, I want to say that in the past, I've always balked at making dressings from scratch and preferred to use bottled dressings. But after years of tossing outdated bottles of half or three-fourths full dressing and wasting no telling how much money doing so, I've concluded that I'm better off to make the dressing specific for the salad I'm serving, and in the process, I'm freeing up more space in my refrigerator door! What do you do---make your own dressing or buy the bottled versions? Leave a comment below and share your favorite dressing (bottled or homemade).

Ok, lets begin making this yummy and nutritious salad:

BROCCOLI, GRAPE, and PASTA SALAD

(original recipe located in the September 2011 issue of Southern Living, p. 117.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan or skillet for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare pasta according to package directions for al dente.

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 break florets into smaller pieces.

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl...

... add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, ...

... and fold together until well coated with dressing.

Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving (or place each in separate bowls for individuals to use as toppings). Since there are only two of us here to eat this HUGE amount, I chose to keep the bacon and toasted pecans as toppings we could add as we eat the salad. Otherwise, the bacon would get soggy before the salad was all gone.

Now, wasn't that EASY?! :-)

And the best part is getting to eat it! Hope you enJOY it as much as we did.

Don't forget to leave your comments about your favorite salad dressings (bottled or homemade) below. BLESSINGS to you and yours!

(NOTE: You can copy and paste the recipe to your word processing program and save or print it for future use.)

BROCCOLI, GRAPE, and PASTA SALAD

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1/2 of a 16 oz. package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

1 lb. fresh broccoli (florets from about two stalks)

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp. salt

2 cups seedless red grapes, halved

8 to 10 cooked bacon slices, broken in pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan or skillet for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions for al dente.

3. 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 break florets into smaller pieces.

4. 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 at least 3 hours.

5. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving (or place each in separate bowls for individuals to use as toppings).