Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Pasta salad is one of the quintessential salads of summer. This one is from Eileen Morehart.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- 1 (16-ounce) box rotini pasta
- 2/3 cup dill pickle juice (from the pickle jar), divided use
- 2 cups chopped baby dill pickles
- 8 ounces Colby-jack cheese, cubed or shredded
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill OR 1 tablespoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Place pasta in a large mixing bowl and pour half of the pickle juice over it. Stir to combine; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the chopped pickles, cheese and onion.
Drain the pickle juice from the pasta. Return the pasta to the large mixing bowl and add the pickle-cheese-onion mixture. Stir to combine.
In a separate small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, remaining pickle juice, dill, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta mixture. Stir until well combined.
Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Makes about 12 servings.
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Corn, avocado, bacon and jalapenos team up in this creamy salad from Judy Shere.
Creamy Avocado Corn Salad
- 6 strips cooked bacon
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 2 large avocados, pitted, peeled and diced
- A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 cups corn fresh or frozen (thaw if frozen)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- Zest and juice of 1 large lime
- ½ teaspoon red chile flakes (optional)
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill before serving.
Makes about 8 servings.
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Lemon bars don't get any easier than these from Jill Brinkley.
Easy Lemon Bars
- 1 box angel food cake mix
- 1 (22-ounce) can lemon pie filling
- Confectioners' sugar
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the angel food cake mix and the lemon pie filling. Once fully mixed, add to the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
Cool completely and then cut into bars and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
Makes about 24 small bars.
Email recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to: kbrant@adgnewsroom.com