Bridal Shower Menu Recipes

All of these recipes were made by my sisters for our niece's bridal shower. Everything looked beautiful and tasted wonderful! Click on the links and they will take you directly to the recipes.

~ Turkey Pasta Salad
~ Oriental Salad
~ Smoked Turkey Salad with Strawberries
~ Texas Caviar (Salsa)
~ Strawberry Dessert Trifle
~ Chocolate Truffle Trifle

Chocolate Truffle Trifle

Printable Recipe

• 1 box fudge cake mix
• 1 (6-oz) box of instant chocolate pudding (large box)
• 1⁄2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 6 heath bars, crushed
. Cool Whip

Make cake according to package directions (cake must cool – so make ahead). Tear or cut into bite size chunks. *Set aside 1/3 cup of cake to crumble into the final layer of candy bars*
Chop candy bars. Make pudding according to directions.

Layer in trifle bowl:
1⁄2 of cake
1⁄2 of coffee (drizzle over cake)
1⁄2 of cool whip
1⁄2 of candy bars

Repeat layers ending with the second half of candy bars that you have crumbled the 1/3 cup of cake into.

Best if chilled overnight.

Strawberry Dessert Trifle

Printable Recipe

. 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
. 1 large box instant vanilla pudding
. 1 1⁄2 cup cold water
. 1 pint whipping cream

Mix condensed milk, instant pudding and water together.
Whip the whipping cream; then mix with pudding mixture.

Layer in trifle bowl:
Angel food cake – cut in bite size pieces
Pudding mixture
Top with fresh or frozed strawberries

Texas Caviar (Salsa)

Printable Recipe

Seasoning
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic salt
Fresh garlic

Vegetables
1 each red pepper, green pepper and yellow pepper (diced)
1 bunch green onion
1 bunch cilantro (may not need this much)
2 cans 10 oz. diced tomatoes with juice (I used two 14 ounce cans)
3 16 oz. jalapeno black eyed peas (I used 1 can – could not find jalapeno – so added a few jalapenos from my jar in refrigerator)
1 16 oz corn (white or yellow) I used super sweet yellow and white

Cut everything up, combine and refrigerate overnight.

Smoked Turkey Salad with Strawberries

Printable Recipe

What a winner! This no-cook salad is a breeze to put together and looks fancy enough for the most distinguished of guests.
From eatbetteramerica.

Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:20 min
makes:8 servings

Creamy Honey Dressing
1 cup Yoplait® Fat Free plain yogurt (from 2-lb container)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground mustard

Salad
1 lb smoked turkey or chicken, cut into 1/4-inch strips (4 cups)
4 oz provolone or Swiss cheese, cut into cubes
4 medium celery stalks, sliced (2 cups)
1/2 cup honey-roasted cashews
1 quart strawberries, cut in half (4 cups)
Salad greens, if desired
Strawberries, if desired

1. In large bowl, mix dressing ingredients until well blended.
2. Add turkey, cheese, celery and honey-roasted cashews; toss gently to coat. Add strawberries; carefully toss until evenly coated. If desired, serve on salad greens; garnish with additional strawberries.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 40mg;
Sodium 860mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 18g); Protein 17g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%;
Vitamin C 80%; Calcium 20%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Lean Meat;
1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 1/2 c Dairy, 1/2 c Fruits, 3 oz-equivalents Meat &
Beans, 1/4 c Vegetables
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Yoplait is a registered trademark of YOPLAIT Marques Internationales SAS (France) used under license.

Oriental Salad

Printable Recipe


Salad
8 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts marinated in teriyaki sauce 4- 8 hours. ( I used 5 breasts – that was plenty)
1 lb pea pods (blanch for 30 seconds – dump into boiling water for 30 seconds just to ever so lightly cook to remove waxiness – turns brighter green.)
2 red peppers sliced
4 celery stacks cut diagonally
1 bunch green onion (cut)
½ cup sliced water chestnut (equals one can)
Small sliced mushrooms

When ready to serve, mix the sauce with above ingredients.

Sauce
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon powder sugar
1 cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup vegetable oil and 2 Tablespoon sesame oil

Blend ingredients all but oil until caramelized; add oil when ready to serve. Shake ingredients in container and pour over salad and toss to coat. Let ingredients mingle together in refrigerator before serving.

Final Presentation
Arrange above ingredients over lettuce leafs that line your salad bowl than top with mandarin oranges followed by Chinese noodles.

Turkey Pasta Salad

Printable Recipe

D-Amico and Deirdre recipe
Serves 8 - 10

Salad
1 pound rotoni pasta
2 1⁄2 + cups cooked , cubed turkey breast
1 (3oz.) pkg. dried cherries
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4+ celery stalks, diced
1/2+ cup whole almonds

Cook pasta 10 minutes in boiling water. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Add all ingredients toss together.

Dressing
1⁄4 cup powder sugar
2 Tablespoon champagne vinegar
2 cups real mayo (16 oz jar)
2 Tablespoon poppyseeds
2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper

Combine powdered sugar and vinegar, add the remaining ingredients and whisk together. Toss with pasta mixture. Chill.

This salad can be prepared a day a head.

Sandy's Egg Bake

Printable Recipe


This recipe comes from my sister. It is very good! The remarks and changes that she made to it are in parentheses.

1 pkg. Jimmy Dean Sausage
green and/or red bell pepper, chpd (recipe didn't call for this ... I just added ... I browned it with the sausage)
onion, chpd (recipe didn't call for this ... I just added it ... I browned it with the sausage)
4 cups cubed day-old bread
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion pwd (I skipped this since I added fresh onion)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Place bread in well-buttered 9 x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk and seasonings together and then pour evenly over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage, onion, bell peppers over top. Cover and chill overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour. Tent foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

Sausage Souffle

Printable Recipe



This recipe comes from my sister-in-law.

12 eggs
1 tube regular Jimmy Dean Sausage, crumbled and browned
2 cups (8 oz.) cheddar cheese
1 1/2 boxes Brownberry Seasoned (salad) croutons
1 cup milk

Grease a 9 x 13" pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the croutons. Spread the sausage evenly over the croutons. Top with the cheese. Mix together the eggs and milk and pour over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.

Porcupine Meatballs

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
finely chpd onion
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked rice
4 cups tomato juice

Combine hamburger, onion, egg, salt, pepper and rice. Form into meatballs and place in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Pour tomato juice over meatballs. If desired, sprinkle some additional rice in and around the meatballs. Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until tender.

Note: Recipes will vary, on the addition of an egg. Some add it, others don't. I find that it holds the meat together better. Also, I personally, find these somewhat bland, so you can add some basil and oregano to either the meatballs or the tomato juice, if desired.

Cheesy Hash Browns

Printable Recipe


This recipe came from my sister-in-law. They are so good!

1(16-oz) bag of "Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns"
1 can Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup
1(8-oz) bag shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp chpd onion, optional

Optional Topping:
2 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix together until well combined.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thoroughly combine the soup, cheese, butter and onion.
3. Place hash browns in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
4. Add soup mixture to the hash browns and stir until well mixed.
5. Sprinkle with Topping, if desired.
6. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Oven BBQ Ribs

Printable Recipe


These are very good. They are pretty spicy, so cut down on the amounts of the seasonings if you don't like things real hot. Let them sit in the refrigerator with the rub on for up to 2 hours or longer, and it will tenderize the meat.

Ribs
6 lbs pork spareribs

Rub
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp brown sugar

BBQ Sauce
I use "Famous Dave's Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce" and I thin it out by adding some water. You can use whatever you prefer.

Pull the transparent sheet off of the back of the ribs, using paper towels to grab a hold of it. Mix together the Rub ingredients and rub all over the ribs, front and back. Place inside a large plastic ziplock bag and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place ribs in a shallow roasting pan or large rimmed cookie sheet(s) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, drain any accumulated grease and then baste with the bbq sauce. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and return ribs to oven and bake for another 1 hour, 15 minutes basting occasionally with bbq sauce.

Sausage Sandwich Squares

Printable Recipe


This recipe comes from Taste of Home

3 - 3 1/2 cups flour
1 pkg (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cups (16 oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/8 tsp garlic pwd

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Add warm water; mix well. Add enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 50 minutes.

In a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the drippings, saute the peppers and onion until tender; drain. Press half the dough onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a greased 15 x 10 x 1" jelly roll pan. Spread sausage evenly over the crust. Top with peppers and onion. sprinkle with the Mozzarella cheese.

Roll out remaining dough to fit pan; place over cheese and seal edges. In a small bowl, combine the egg and water. Add the Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano and garlic pwd; mix well. Brush over dough. Cut slits in top. Bake 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares.

Paul Bunyan's Chili

Printable Recipe


This recipe came from my brother-in-law. It is very good!

2 large onions, chpd
1 green pepper, chpd
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs hamburger
2 ( 16-oz ) cans red kidney beans
1 ( 16-oz ) can tomatoes, cut up
1 ( 8-oz ) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
2-4 tbsp chili pwd, according to taste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano leaves
dash paprika
dash cayenne, according to taste

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, saute onion, green pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Add hamburger and brown; drain off fat. Drain the kidney beans and reserve the liquid. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add the reserved bean liquid if the chili becomes dry.

Quick and Easy Sloppy Joes

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
chpd onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Campbells Chicken Gumbo soup
2-3 tbps mustard, or more to taste
1/2 cup ketchup, or more to taste

Brown the hamburger and onion together until hamburger is done. Drain. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1/2 hour. Serve on hamburger buns.

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

Printable Recipe


This is a little unusual in that it uses pudding mixes. It is very moist. If you want to make smaller loaves to give as gifts, or to make sure you are able to use it all up, use miniature foil pans - the kind you get at the grocery store in the baking aisle. (They come in sets of 2 or 3.) 3 of those miniature pans equal one regular sized bread pan.

5 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 (15-oz ) can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 ( 3-oz each ) pkgs Cook-and-Serve vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the oil and pumpkin; beat until smooth. Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for about an hour or so, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you are using the minature pans, they will not need to bake as long.

Bisquick Coffee Cake

Printable Recipe


Streusel
1 1/3 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup firm butter, cut into pieces

Coffee Cake
4 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 1/3 cups milk or water (I always use milk)
4 tbsp sugar
2 eggs

Grease a 9 x 13" pan. In a bowl, combine the streusel ingredients and stir together until crumbly, set aside.

In another bowl, combine the cake ingredients, stirring just until blended. Spread into the greased pan. Sprinkle with the streusel. Bake 375 degrees for 18 - 22 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Zucchini Bread II

Printable Recipe


I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and adjusted some of the ingredients. It stays very moist for quite some time. It freezes well.

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking pwd
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 - 3/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 - 3/8 tsp allspice
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini (leave the peels on)
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Grease two loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, soda, baking pwd, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. In another large bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and sugars. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the zucchini and nuts until well mixed. Pour into greased pans and bake 325 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool bread in pans for 20 minutes and remove bread to cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: If your bread pans are dark, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. This is a general rule of thumb. If you are using dark pans, always reduce your oven temp by 25 degrees.

Applesauce Bars II

Printable Recipe


These are very moist, and tasty.

1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup applesauce
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Frosting
1 1/2 cups pwd sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, and egg until smooth. stir in the applesauce. Combine the flour, soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and stir into the applesauce mixture until well blended. Spread evenly into a greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Combine the frosting ingredients and spread evenly over cooled bars.

Basic Buttercream Frosting

Printable Recipe


This is enough frosting to frost a 2 - Layer cake or a 9 x 13" cake

1/3 cup butter, melted
3 cups pwd sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 -3 tbsp milk

Combine butter, pwd sugar, vanilla and 2 tbsp milk in a bowl . Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add additional milk if frosting is too thick.