The BEST Salad Recipe-Salad de Maison [+Video]

The BEST Family Favorite Salad recipe ever! This easy salad is made with fresh romaine lettuce, two kinds of cheese, crispy bacon, sweet tomatoes, crunchy toasted almonds, and fresh cucumbers all tossed with a healthy lemon vinaigrette.

My mom would often say that she’s not a great salad maker, which is not true. Her strawberry feta poppyseed salad is hands down one of my favorite salads ever. I cannot beg you enough to make it. Oh and she’s famous for her Bowtie Chicken Pasta Salad too.

The Process

I began testing simple family salad recipes that even kids would like a few years ago, but no matter how hard I tried to find something simple it always ended up a bit more involved. Tell me you love to cook without telling me you love to cook…

So I’d circle back to Cooking Classy’s recipe for Salad de Maison, and forget about my own search for a bit. With time I realized that her recipe really is just the best for a simple, healthy, quick and easy salad recipe.

Cheese in salad is a big win for me, but which cheese is best? I tried all the different varieties; cheddar completely overpowered the salad, swiss hit all the wrong notes, havarti was soft and didn’t fall through the salad like I wanted.

I finally settled on two cheeses that I think transform this salad: Manchego and Parmesan cheese. Listen, manchego can be bought old or young, you will need to decide if you like the more mild or more pungent. I prefer the younger manchego to be honest, but both are deliciously mild. The parmesan adds that salty, nutty note your salad needs to pump up the flavor.

What Do I Need to Make Salad de Maison?

We’ve talked about a lot of the ingredients needed for this simple green salad recipe, but here is a complete list so you know what you need:

• Slivered Almonds
• Bacon
• Romaine Hearts
• Roma Tomatoes or Cherry Tomatoes
• English Cucumber
• Manchego Cheese

Lemon Dressing

• Light Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Dijon Mustard
• Honey
• Salt
• Black Pepper

I love the BLT flavor that all the ingredients have when they’re combined! The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe at the end of the post.

How to Make The Best Salad [Salad de Maison]

Before you get started with this salad, make sure you have cooked the bacon and toasted the almonds. It seems a little silly to include the steps for making a salad, but just in case you need it…

1. Combine all the ingredients for the salad i

Sheet Pan Mexican Street Corn in the Oven (Elote)

This sheet pan Mexican street corn in the oven is a game-changer when it comes to quick, flavorful dishes! Imagine a sheet pan of charred, sweet corn kernels smothered in a Mexican crema, topped with a generous sprinkle of crumbled cotija cheese, chili powder. It’s that signature Mexican street corn flavor without the grill!

The best part? It’s easy to make and clean up is a breeze, since everything cooks on one sheet pan. I love this recipe because I just throw it in the oven and it’s done! So simple! Whether as a great side dish for tacos, pork carnitas, or simply on its own, this recipe brings a fiesta of flavor to any meal with minimal effort!

Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn on a Sheet Pan

Let’s hit the ground running and get started with the 6 ingredients you’ll need to make this flavorful side dish…

• Butter: Keep in mind that the cotija is a salty cheese when you decide to use salted or unsalted butter.
• Frozen Fire Roasted Corn: You can find this by the regular frozen corn. Using frozen corn makes this a dish you can eat all year long.
• Mexican Crema: similar to sour cream but thinner
• Chili Powder: adds flavor, a little heat and some pretty color
• Cotija Cheese: found in the Latino food area of the refrigerated section
• Fresh Cilantro: chopped fine

The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Sheet Pan Mexican Street Corn

If you only have about 5 minutes to make a side dish for your next Mexican dinner, then this sheet pan elote is your answer! It only takes a few minutes of actual work and the rest is just letting the corn roast in the oven. Here are the steps:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 425℉.
2. Melt the Butter: Slice the butter into several pats and place them around the sheet pan. Stick the pan in the oven to melt the butter until it’s just starting to brown slightly.
3. Cook the Corn: When the butter is starting the brown, add the corn and toss in the butter until coated. Place the sheet pan back in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes.
4. Finish the Dish: Remove the sheet pan from the oven, drizzle with the Mexican crema and sprinkle with chili powder and cotija cheese. Top with the cilantro if desired and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!

The recipe card at the end of the post contains these instructions in full detail. You can also print or save the recipe there.

What to Eat with Sheet Pan Elote

This sheet pan elote can be

Easy Greek Pasta Salad [+ Video]

A fresh and easy Greek Pasta Salad just in time for summer! This crowd-pleasing side dish is tasty for backyard barbecues. Curly pasta to trap the dressing is essential, then load it up with a variety of olives, fresh cucumber and more!

This easy Greek pasta salad recipe is all about one thing: the chunks of feta cheese. Yes, I love the chewy pasta, the crunch of the fresh veggies, and the tangy dressing. It’s basically summer in a bowl, colorful and fresh.

But honestly? It’s all about the feta for me. Every time I see someone on the Food Network making a salad with chunks of feta cheese, I vow to stop what I’m doing and immediately follow their lead. And now, you can too.

This is one Greek pasta salad your guests will rave about! It is simply the BEST with your favorite summery grilled meats (find my favorite grilled chicken recipe here) or at any potluck or picnic you are attending.

What’s Needed for Greek Pasta Salad?

The red wine vinaigrette is so simple and flavorful, you can throw it together right before you need it. And it comes together in minutes with just a few pantry ingredients. Save the recipe because you’ll want it on all your other salads, too!

For the Greek Dressing:

• Olive Oil
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Garlic
• Dried Oregano
• Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

I love the classic combination of cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and olives. Since grocery store tomatoes can be unpredictable, I go with my favorite brand of grape or cherry tomatoes and slice them lengthwise. I also use red onion and kalamata olives, but you are welcome to substitute your favorite onions and olives.

For the Pasta Salad:

• Rotini Pasta
• English Cucumber
• Diced Bell Pepper
• Sliced Red Onion
• Grape Tomatoes
• Feta Cheese
• Kalamata Olives

The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Greek Pasta Salad

This feta and cucumber pasta salad couldn’t be easier to make! Here are the basic steps to making this simple pasta salad recipe:

Easy 5 Minute Lemon Feta Grilled Asparagus Recipe

Lemon Grilled Asparagus with Feta is a vibrant, flavorful side dish that’s both refreshing and savory! Fresh asparagus spears are perfectly grilled with a zesty lemon dressing, creating a smoky char. Topped with crumbled feta cheese, this dish adds a creamy, tangy contrast to the bright, crisp asparagus.

This easy 5 minute grilled (or broiled) asparagus recipe has a short ingredient list and even shorter cook time, but it’s our kids’ favorite side dish!

Recipe Origins

Remember how I used to be picky? Well, immediately after we had our first daughter we moved to California. California is beautiful, amazing weather (we lived in San Diego) and they have awesome produce. Which is great, unless you’re me and you don’t really care for all of those weird vegetables. Remember, this is the old me, the new me will devour veggies faster than anything else. Anyway, we had dinner at my sister in law’s house and I was informed she was making a really easy grilled lemon pepper asparagus recipe…

Dun, dun, duuuuuuuuun! How in the heck was I going to get out of this one?! We were all going to be eating dinner together in the backyard for heaven’s sake!!!! Wait, there was a dog. I for sure could slip one to the dog. Nope, I already was feeling sneaky and knew I couldn’t pretend to eat something and feed it to the dog without feeling horribly guilty. I was going to have to suck it up. And suck it up I did, and it was good. It was real good. And so began my veggie journey. That day I learned that grilled asparagus is phenomenal and since then I’ve converted my mother who always said asparagus was like a nasty weed growing by an old ditch. And now she even loves it. Booyah, baby!

Ingredients for Lemon Pepper Asparagus

You only need 6 ingredients to make this easy vegetable side dish! The olive oil helps the asparagus get a nice char on it and it also helps the seasonings cling to the asparagus. Here is everything you need:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Lemon Zest and Juice
• Asparagus
• Salt and Black Pepper
• Feta Cheese
  • TIP: If you aren’t a feta fan, parmesan cheese makes a great substitute!

The measurements and details for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Buy the Best Asparagus

Buying the best and freshest asparagus doesn’t need to be complicated. We have a few tips that will help you pick the best bundle of asparagus.

First, check the tips. They should be pretty firm to the touch and mushy at all.

Next, check the stalks. They should not be soft or rubbery at all.

Finally, check the ends. Even though we will be trimming the ends off, they are a good indicator of the freshness of the asparagus spears. You don’t want the ends to be woody, shriveled or split.

One more tip for buying asparagus, try to av

Our BEST Broccoli Salad [+ Video]

This Broccoli Salad is a delicious blend of crisp, fresh broccoli, savory bacon, and creamy dressing, creating the perfect balance of flavors. It’s an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing dish that’s ideal for any occasion, from weeknight dinners to summer BBQs and potlucks. Smoky, crunchy, and utterly satisfying!

Made with cheese, raisins, and sunflower seeds, this really is the BEST broccoli bacon salad recipe! It can be prepped in advance too!

Easy Broccoli Bacon Salad with Cheese

When I was dating my husband, he surprised me one night with an amazing home cooked meal. He picked me up after I had attended a bridal shower and took me back to his apartment so that we could work on our Anatomy and Physiology lab. When I walked in, he had made steak, rolls, loaded baked potatoes, and Broccoli and Cheese Sauce. I thought, “Oh no!! he has no idea how much I hate broccoli.”

I was so impressed with everything that I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I dug in. IT. WAS. DELICIOUS. Oh, I still can taste it. That was the first food he had ever cooked for me and he blew me away. Everything was fantastic, including the broccoli.

This man has changed my life in many ways, but definitely in the food department that night. From that night onwards, I started trying all sorts of new things that Cade loved (but never Sushi. I still don’t eat that even though he loves it and continually tries to convince me).

What’s Needed for Cold Broccoli Bacon Salad?

To make the broccoli bacon salad, you’ll need:

• Broccoli Florets
• Golden Raisins
• Craisins (dried cranberries)
• Sunflower Seeds
• Cooked Bacon
• Frozen Peas
• Red Onion

And to make the simple salad dressing, you’ll need:

• Mayonnaise
• Granulated Sugar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Shredded Colby Jack Cheese

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below. Keep scrolling for all the details!

How to Make Broccoli Bacon Salad

This cold broccoli salad comes together quickly! Here are the basic steps to making this recipe:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the broccoli, onion, raisins, craisins, and frozen peas.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the simple salad dressing.
3. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss well to coat.
4. Just before serving, add the crumbled crispy bacon and sunflower seeds and toss to evenly distribute.

The