Blue Cheese Wedge Salad Recipe

Bleu Cheese Wedge Salad Recipe

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Have you ever tried a recipe out of pure curiosity? The wedge salad, for example, an unassuming iceberg lettuce salad (that graced menus in the '50s and '60s), has made a resurgence on menus of fancy restaurants and steak houses EVERYWHERE. Why? I had to see what all the buzz was about for myself.

So why the popularity? One, it is easy to make. Ok, I get it. Honestly, the thought of eating a majestic cliff of iceberg lettuce instead of my preferred mixed greens or spinach seemed less than appealing, and you can imagine my hesitation.

Now, here is where the magic begins. Add to the iceberg mountain awaiting fresh juicy tomatoes, sweet tender shallots, crispy salty bacon (hello), clouds of tangy blue cheese, and drizzle it with a creamy homemade blue cheese dressing. Now, we're talking about a whole different taste sensation. The crispness of the salad melded together with the savory ingredients is a flavor party ready to explode in your mouth! Wow, was I surprised! I loved it!

If your curiosity is piqued and you have not tried this iconic salad, it is worth tantalizing your taste buds.  It makes for the perfect meal or hearty side dish. It is refreshing, colorful, and easy to make, the perfect blend of deliciousness. The homemade bleu cheese dressing (everything in moderation), made with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, is the pièce de résistance of this dish. What are you waiting for?

Comment below and let us know if you made this majestic salad. We would love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this tasty salad. Return for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Salad Ingredients

• Iceberg lettuce washed and cut into fourths

• 8 slices of bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped

• Tomatoes, coarsely chopped (could use halved cherry tomatoes)

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• Blue Cheese, crumbled

• Blue Cheese Dressing (below)

• Dash of Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• Dash of ground pepper

• Chives, chopped (optional for garnish)

Blue Cheese Dressing (can be made ahead)

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup buttermilk* (or 1/2 cup half and half + 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) white vinegar)

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) pepper

• 2 oz. good blue cheese, crumbled

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

Preparation

Prepare the salad dressing by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. (This dressing can be made at least a day ahead, as the flavors tend to marry if made in advance).

Chop the cooked bacon, tomatoes, shallot, and chives (optional) for the salad and set aside.

Rinse the lettuce in cool water and remove any outer leaves as necessary. With a sharp knife, cut the lettuce in half, then half again to create four halves. Arrange on individual plates or a platter. (For a fun party idea, make mini wedges for guests, cut them into smaller halves, and arrange them on a platter).

Sprinkle a dash of Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and ground pepper (to taste) on the lettuce wedges. Next, add the salad dressing, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese, shallots, and chives (optional) for garnish.

Serve and enjoy!

Monster Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

Monster Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Originally posted October 2018.

Halloween this year looks different than in years past, but if your goblins are venturing out to carve through the neighborhood on Halloween night, treat them to these irresistibly easy Monster Chicken Salad Sandwiches featuring Cherchies® Champagne Mustard.

I have always been a sucker for themed events, and Halloween, in particular, is one of those holidays that brings out the kid in me. It is purely fun and stress-free, from the decorations, the creative costumes, to the creepy food. When our kiddos were younger, they loved having their friends over hours before the big event for a Halloween potluck with all kinds of themed ghoulish treats, such as Jack-o-Lantern Dips, deviled eyeballs, Witches Cheese Brooms, and so much more! (See below for some of our favorite eerie concoctions).

Now that our children are older, it warms my heart that they still request spooky treats for Halloween; however, I prefer to extend the season and prepare ghoulish dishes weeks before Halloween. I whipped up a batch of our children’s favorite chicken salad recipe (featuring Cherchies® Champagne Mustard) the other day and had these Monster Chicken Salad Sandwiches waiting for our daughter when she came home from school, and she was terrifyingly thrilled.

Halloween is this Saturday, so if you are on the hunt for a “fang-tastic” recipe this Halloween, consider these deliciously easy Monster Chicken Salad Sandwiches, because they are “to die for”!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Chicken breasts, cooked (store-bought rotisserie chicken would work well too.)

• 1/3 cup Celery, finely chopped

• 1 hard boiled egg, chopped

• 2/3 cup Mayonnaise

• 1 Tablespoon Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

• 1/4 tsp pepper, fresh ground

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup chopped grapes (optional)

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

• Slices of cheddar cheese (you could use American cheese slices)

• Rolls of your choice

• Romaine lettuce, washed and separated

• Large olives stuffed with pimentos for the eyes

• colorful toothpicks for the eyes

Preparation

I usually cook the chicken and eggs the day before, so place the cooked chicken in a food processor and pulse until the chicken is chopped.  (Coarsely hand chopping the chicken will work just as well).  Place the chicken into a medium bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir. Set aside.

**Note- Grapes and pecans would be a nice addition to the chicken salad. Even though I LOVE chicken salad made that way, our children usually balk at the thought, so I leave them out.  How cute would these be made into sliders? (Switch up the regular sized rolls for slider buns and use smaller olives).

Separate, wash, and pat dry the lettuce. Set aside. Place slices of cheese on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut “teeth” triangles into cheese. Save cut-outs for another recipe.

To a sliced roll, add the cheese “teeth”, the lettuce, and a generous dollop of chicken salad. That's it!

Add the top of the bun to the sandwich, then decorate the monster sandwich with the olives on toothpicks. Go ahead and have fun with your food! Enjoy!

Comment below and send us pictures of your ghoulish creations! Thank you for visiting!

Here are other ghoulish Halloween treats for you to enjoy this Halloween! For more fun Halloween themed foods, check out Halloween Foods You Must Try.

• Jack-o-Lantern Dips

• Festive Deviled Eyeballs

• Witches Cheese Brooms with Mustard Dipping Sauce

Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing Recipe

Cobb Salad With Derby Dressing Recipe

One of my favorite salads in the whole world is The Cobb Salad.  Who can resist crisp greens, creamy avocado, tomatoes, eggs, scallions, bacon, and leftover chicken?  I surely cannot. Did you know this famous salad originated in Hollywood, back in the 1920's?  

Here's some trivia for you:

The Cobb Salad got its name from Robert Cobb, an owner of the once famous Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles. To quote marriedatthemovies.com: “As the story goes, late one night, [Cobb] prepared himself a salad of chopped leftover chicken with some other ingredients.  Four of his pals dropped by the restaurant after a movie preview, just as Bob was enjoying his homemade supper.  One asked what he was eating, and that salad became known as Bob’s ‘Cobb Salad.’ When the Hollywood Brown Derby opened in 1929, The Cobb Salad, with its homemade Derby French Dressing appeared as an official fixture on the menu.  To this day, the salad appears on menus throughout the country" (marriedatthemovies.com).  For the full history and original recipe, check out marriedatthemovies.com.  

Cool, huh?

Now I feel privileged to eat such a prestigious salad!  Our version is close to the original recipe, and surely one you will love. Another great line from marriedatthemovies.com: "At the Brown Derby, the Cobb Salad was presented to the guests with all the toppings lined up vertically over the salad greens, and tossed well with the Old Fashioned French Dressing, tableside." (www.marriedatthemovies.com).  The original Derby French Dressing recipe, according to Sally Cobb, called for English mustard, but we substituted Cherchies® Champagne Mustard and added Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning to the mix.  This recipe serves 6, but feel free to scale it down to your liking.  

We would love to hear your comments on this recipe and as always thank you for visiting our blog!   Enjoy!

Salad Ingredients

• 6 cups shredded mixed greens

• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken

•  1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

• 6 slices of bacon, cooked, crispy, and crumbled

• 3 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and diced

• 2 green onions (green part only), chopped

• Brown Derby French Dressing

Brown Derby French Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) sugar

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (Substitute Cherchies Hot Banana Pepper Mustard for a spicier palate)

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1 green onion (green part only), chopped

Preparation

Prepare the salad dressing.  Add the salad dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid.  Tightly close the lid and shake the ingredients until combined.  Set aside.

Arrange the lettuce on a large platter.  As true to the original recipe, except for the green onions, place all the ingredients vertically over the salad.   We opted to arrange the ingredients in a star shape.

Garnish with the green onions and serve with The Brown Derby French Dressing.  Toss.

Enjoy!

Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing Recipe

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

One condiment you will find abundantly stocked in our home is Ranch Dressing. Since our second child was young (by far the pickiest of our three children), Ranch dressing was the quintessential condiment and the only way we could entice him to eat vegetables, chicken tenders, burgers, and pretty much anything. Whenever our children stayed at their grandparents' homes, we forewarned them to keep Ranch dressing on hand or suffer the consequences. 

To this day, Ranch is still our son's preferred condiment, but he's hardly the picky eater he was in the past. He considers himself "The Master Taster Tester" of the family (something he coined when he was younger). I had never made Homemade Ranch before until our son asked, "Mom, what is in ranch dressing?" I was stumped. So, we looked up the ingredients, and as it turns out, I had everything on hand, including fresh herbs from our garden. I sensed a method to his madness, so after playing with a few ingredients, I surprised him later with homemade ranch dressing. His smile said it all.

From The "Master Taster Tester's" lips, "Mom, this is the best darn ranch dressing ever!", It only seemed fitting to share this recipe with the world and label it The Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe. Embodied in creamy buttermilk, Cherchies® Lem'n Dill, Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs, and other fresh herbs, this tasty ranch dressing recipe will appease even the most discerning ranch lover; but beware, you may never go back to the bottled ranch dressing again! Use this dressing in all your favorite recipes: a dip for vegetables, chicken tenders, fries, a spread on sandwiches, and a salad dressing.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayo

• 1/2 cup sour cream (could substitute Greek yogurt)

• 1/2 cup half and half

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) lemon juice

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) coarsely chopped fresh chives

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) chopped fresh parsley (3/4 teaspoon dried)

• 1 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs No-Salt Seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) ground black pepper

Preparation

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender.  Pulse to combine.  If the recipe is too thick, add more half-and-half or milk to the mixture.  

Refrigerate and chill for at least an hour, but overnight is preferable, as the flavors will marry. Serve over your favorite salad or as a dipping sauce for fries, chicken tenders, pretzels, vegetables, or whatever your heart desires.

Enjoy!

**Note: In the post, I mentioned buttermilk. I rarely have buttermilk on hand, so I use half and half and a teaspoon of white vinegar to simulate buttermilk. It is a quick and easy substitution.

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe