picnics Archives - The Midnight Baker

Deli-Style Macaroni Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 28 May 2019 23:00:50 +0000

If you’re a fan of the deli-style macaroni salad , you’ll love this easy to make recipe!

The Old Neighborhood Deli: Wonderful Salads

Do you remember your old neighborhood delicatessen? I sure do. In my old neighborhood, there were several. However, everyone seemed to have their favorite one. The one my family went to most was one on the corner of Farragut Road and Troy Avenue.

I’m going back many years remembering this, but one thing I will always remember is the delicious salads they’d have. The salads were all made by the mom and pop who owned the place. As most delicatessens were owned and run by people of German heritage, naturally the food was geared toward that cuisine.

Personally, I love macaroni salad–any way you give it to me–but I always liked the deli kind. However, I was never able to duplicate the taste; until I found this recipe on a message board I visit.

Perfect Deli-Style Macaroni Salad

Once I saw that recipe and the method, I realized how dumb I had to be never to figure out the one thing that gave the macaroni salad it’s great taste–it has to “pickle.” Now it’s obvious, but it wasn’t for years.

The whole process is pretty simple. The pasta just has to sit in the brine for an hour or two and then you proceed as usual. The best part is it is already chilled by that point so once you add the additional ingredients, you’re set to serve.

Green Pepper Is A Must

A great macaroni salad just has to have some green bell pepper added. For me, that about does it, but you can add additional ingredients that your family likes.

Nice additions are grated carrot, onion and celery. This is a great recipe you can add to!

The Recipe

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Deli-Style Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad just like the corner deli

Prep Time0

Cook Time10

Brining Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: macaroni, salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 277kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz elbow macaroni
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 tsp celery seed
1/4 cup mayonnaise

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare macaroni as directed on package; drain and cool
Mix the vinegar and sugar in a large bowl, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Mix in the cooked elbows. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Drain off any excess liquid from the chilled elbows. Add the green pepper and celery seed. Add the mayonnaise and stir until well coated. You may add additional mayonnaise if you wish.

Nutrition

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Tote And Go Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 26 May 2018 23:00:01 +0000

This is the easiest and yummiest oven-fried chicken you will ever make. So perfect for picnics!

Retro Picnic Chicken

You can’t get more retro than this chicken recipe!

The original comes from Durkee. It came from an old advert of theirs that someone posted in a 1950s Facebook group I belong to. Since I love retro recipes because they are mostly comfort food, I had to try this. Plus I love chicken!

Some Slight Re-Dos

Tastes change over the years. Mine did. For instance, I don’t use as much salt as I did 40-odd years ago. It had nothing to do with my own health, but my late husband’s health. Since he had to be on a reduced-sodium diet due to heart problems, I just ate the same things he did to eliminate making two different meals. As a result, I lost a lot of my taste for salt.

Bear in mind that this recipe was from Durkee and their main objective is to sell their herbs and spices. However, I can’t see using celery salt in addition to garlic salt plus the salt on top of Ritz-like crackers. Whereas years ago I might have found a combo like this slightly on the salty side, now I’d gag and find the food inedible.

So what I did was use garlic powder instead of the garlic salt and used hint-of-salt Ritz crackers since I couldn’t find an unsalted variety. I guess you could crush some celery seed for a salt-free alternative, but with my substitutions the celery salt was fine (and cheaper).

Better Than Store-Bought Coatings

This chicken coating is far better than anything you can buy in the store and it’s probably less expensive too.

Play with the seasonings. This recipe can have many adaptations. If you’ve found a good one, let me know!

The Recipe

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Tote And Go Chicken

Tote and Go Chicken is the easiest and yummiest oven-fried chicken recipe you will ever make. So perfect for picnics!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fried chicken, oven-fried chicken, picnic foods

Servings: 4

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 pieces chicken I used thighs and drumsticks
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp garlic powder
1.5 cups unsalted cracker crumbs recommended butter cracker crumbs (like Ritz)
4 tsp paprika
2 tsp celery salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place oil in a pie pan (or similar dish) and add the garlic powder; mix well.
Add the remaining ingredients to a plastic bag and shake to mix.
Roll the chicken in the oil coating well. Let excess oil drip off back into the pie plate.
Shake 2 pieces at a time in the crumb mixture and place on a large baking sheet skin side up.
Bake for 60 minutes.

Nutrition

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Chipotle Ranch Potato Salad

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Chipotle Ranch Potato Salad

Super-easy potato salad combines the herby flavor of ranch seasoning and the smoky heat of chipotles. A real crowd pleaser!

This potato salad is sure to be a hit!

It combines the popular flavor of ranch with the subtle smokiness of chipotle peppers.

Perfectly balanced flavors

The salad is not overwhelmed with either flavor–just enough to keep it interesting and under-the-radar heat so even the kiddos will love this. Of course add more chipotle for more smokiness and heat if you wish!

I make my own ranch seasoning mix–and I give the link to my favorite recipe in the ingredient list. I tend to make up a big batch of this but I only use half the salt that Missy suggests. Remember, you can always add, but you can’t take it out!

Skin on makes a nice presentation

When I use red potatoes, which are pretty much my go-to potato for salads, I don’t peel them; just scrub ’em up really well and leave the skin on. Skin-on potatoes make a nice presentation too.

If you don’t have chives (I grow them–try snipping a bunch into mashed potatoes–HEAVEN), then green onion would be a good substitute.

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Chipotle Ranch Potato Salad

Super-easy potato salad combines the herby flavor of ranch seasoning and the smoky heat of chipotles. A real crowd pleaser!

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: potato salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs small red potatoes cooked
1 chipotle in adobo finely diced and mashed
2 tbs ranch seasoning mix*
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup snipped chives
salt
pepper

Instructions

*Commercial dressing mix (the dry stuff) may be substituted.
Cut the cooked potatoes into chunks--leave the skin on for added color; place in a large bowl and mix in chives.
In a smaller bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ranch seasoning mix and the chipotle. Mix well.
Add enough of the mayonnaise mixture to suit your taste. I used almost the entire recipe because I like a very "mayonnaisy" salad.
Add salt & pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Chipotle Ranch Potato Salad

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Hot Fun In The Summertime (week #1)

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 18 May 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Each week, there’ll be a great collection of summer favorites from all my friends in the food blogosphere!

You can also follow the associated Pinterest board (link at the bottom of the post) to have all your faves all in one place and easy to find! All recipe links from the parties will be pinned to this board so you don’t miss a single one!And to kick this off, here’s some delicious ribs!!! Click the recipe title to get the recipe. And below that a golden oldie from Sly & The Family Stone (hey I’m a 60s person!!!)

LUAU RIBS

FOR MY BLOGGER FRIENDS ADDING LINKS

Pin up to 3 links on each hop and do invite your other blogger friends.Party is open from Monday thru Friday. The following Monday, we start a new post with new recipes that again run through that week’s Friday. Each post will be marked with the week number.

I have a Pinterest board associated with the hop. Anyone who posts either has been or will be invited, so if I miss anyone, please contact me for an invitation. My boards are WELL TRAVELED so you will get engagement. I will also pin selected entries to some very large food boards I pin to over there. If we don’t follow each other already on Pinterest, please follow at least 1 of my non-group boards and I will follow you back–PLEASE let me know you have to be added!!! I try to go through the links, but sometimes I miss someone (not intentionally).

Here’s a button you can grab for your own blogs and other social media (you’ll just need to copy/paste what’s in the textbox):

Don’t forget to add your blog’s logo/button to the participating blogs page–click this link for the page or click on the blog hop’s graphic in the right sidebar.

An InLinkz Link-up

Follow The’s board Hot Fun in the Summertime Blog Hop on Pinterest.

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