Pineapple Cheesecake Apple Salad (Dessert)

I'm not really sure if this delicious dish qualifies as a salad or dessert!  I suppose it might depend on at what point of the meal you enjoy eating it. If you take a few bites of this sweet, tart dish between bites of your savory main dish, I suppose it's a salad. If you save all the bites of crunchy apple wrapped in cheesecake flavored fluff, it's more like a dessert. Any time you decide to dig in, it's delicious.

I first had this dish at a family potluck at the lake several summers ago. I took a bite expecting something like a waldorf salad.  My taste buds detected the crunchy, tart apple pieces and the sweetness of the pineapple, but it took a few more bites to put my tongue on just what made this dish so incredibly dessert-like. The secret ingredient? Cheesecake flavored pudding mix. The best part? This pudding flavor from Jell-o comes only in a sugar free, fat free version. Mixed with fruit and some fat free (or low fat cool whip) and you've got a low calorie dish that can easily replace many of the fat laden dishes that often appear on potluck tables around the country.

I have taken this dish to many gatherings over the years and it always disappears quickly. I decided to make a batch today because I thought the sweet tartness would be a good ending to our pork carnitas dinner. Tonight we'll enjoy it as "dessert".  We're still recovering from the extra calories we consumed while on vacation a week ago so any low calorie treats I can fit on the menu are welcomed.

This dish is one that is relatively inexpensive to put together if you're in need of a dish to bring to a potluck gathering. I picked up cans of pineapple for 50 cents a can using store specials and coupons. The pudding is a little trickier to find. I usually can find it at Walmart for under $1, but I have not had as much luck finding this particular flavor at local Kroger or Meijer. I almost always have a container of $1 Cool Whip on hand in my freezer. I've made it with both fat free and low fat; I can't tell a huge difference in the end result. I picked up a couple of Granny Smith apples on my last grocery trip for around $1.

Here's the recipe:

Pineapple Cheesecake Apple Salad
1 can crushed pineapple
1 pkg cheesecake flavored pudding mix
2 large Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 container Fat Free or Low Fat Whipped Topping














1. Place crushed pineapple (and juice) into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add pudding mix and stir to combine.
3. Add chopped apples and mix.
4. Fold in whipped topping.
5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (actually tastes better the next day!)

Pineapple Cheesecake Apple Salad
Tart, crunchy apples, sweet pineapple held together by cheesecake fluff. . .YUMMY!



What's your favorite recipe that can be placed into two categories?

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice

Last week we had Grilled Ham and Pineapple Sandwiches.  This week we're having Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice.  It's always an adventure to take a recipe that you already enjoy (like grilled ham and cheese or fried rice) and throw in some new ingredient.  Last week's sandwich was a hit with all the eaters in our house, so I thought I'd give this Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice a try as regular fried rice is always a winner at our dinner table.  I first read about this recipe at Eat At Home on one of her weekly menu posts (her picture looks better than mine).  I've had it saved in my Recipes to Try file for several weeks.

One of the things I like about Fried Rice is that I can make it ahead of time on days when our dinner hour is hectic.  It's perfect for a busy night.  (It's Music Lesson and ISPTO Mtg night on our family calendar this week).  The 3 year old is napping for 45 minutes or so which is plenty of time for me to get dinner all ready to serve and have a few minutes to myself before the afternoon rush begins.  I can reheat the fried rice in just a few minutes after the girls are home from school and before we head out to our lessons.  Add a mixed greens salad and some zucchini bread (from the freezer) and we're all set for a homecooked meal together around the table for less than $6 in less than 30 minutes.

Here's the recipe:

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice
3-4 cups cooked, cooled rice (I made a batch in my rice cooker this morning before school)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1-2 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups diced ham
4 Tbsp soy sauce, plus more to taste
1 lg can Pineapple tidbits, drained with juice reserved (you'll need 3+ Tbsp)
2 eggs beaten
1-2 cups frozen peas and carrots (or any other vegetables you might have leftover; kids said they prefer when I use shredded carrots instead of the frozen, cubed ones)
salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/8+ tsp pepper, just a sprinkling of salt)

Pretend there's also minced garlic pictured here!

1.  Saute the onion in a little bit of oil until soft in a large skillet.
2.  Add the garlic and the ham, 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 Tbsp pineapple juice and heat until ham is hot.
3.  Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet and stir frequently.
4.  Add the peas and carrots and heat through.
5.  Add the cooked rice and 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 1-2 Tbsp of pineapple juice and gently stir with a large spatula until rice and meat and vegetables are evenly combined.
6.  Taste and season with salt and pepper or more soy sauce if needed.
7.  Serve immediately or reheat for dinner later on.

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice
The sweet pineapple gives this quick fix skillet dish a fresh twist

What's your favorite meal to fix on a night with filled with the kids' activities right around the dinner hour?

What to do with leftover ham - Grilled Ham and Pineapple Sandwich

Happy Easter Friends!  I hope that you enjoyed a wonderful weekend celebration with your family/friends!  We enjoyed a wonderful weekend filled with lots of yummy food, fun family moments, and many photo opportunities.  I took Monday to organize some of those photos, so I'm a bit behind on some of the blog posts. 

We love ham at our house!  My mother in law always fixed a ham for Christmas and Easter, so we have sort of adopted that same tradition in our own home.  She taught me a very easy way to fix the perfect ham.  You cook it slowly in the oven overnight in a paper bag.  I've fixed my hams like this for years, and they always turn out perfectly.  It's so easy, it's embarrassing to even call it a recipe. 

But for those of you who may be intrigued to try cooking a ham a new way, here's what you do.  Buy a cheap ham (like a shank or butt portion, or even a whole bone in ham).  Remove the plastic wrapper and the little plastic thing that is over the bone.  Place the ham in a large brown paper grocery sack.  Fold up the bag so that it is tight to the ham.  Place the ham in a 9x13 pan.  Add a little water (maybe 1/2 cup or so) to the bottom of the pan.  Place in the oven at 220 overnight (about 6-8 hours).  Turn the oven off in the morning, and let the ham sit for about 4 hours before slicing it.  Remove the ham from the bag, and slice with an electric knife.  The ham will be super tender and juicy. 

I have served this ham at several of our Easter Egg Hunt parties and have turned even non-ham eaters into members of the Clean Plate Club.  Super easy. . . super yummy. . .lots of leftovers.  This slow cook method will not work on a presliced spiral yam; all the juices leak out and you'll be left with a dry ham.  This will also not work well on a boneless ham; it turns out tough.  I usually buy 2 or more hams when they go on sale at Christmas and Easter and we'll eat one on the holiday, and then I'll cut up the other to use in ham dishes. 

This past Sunday, I decided to shake things up a bit and try something new.  A mom of one of my 8 year old's gym teammates told me she likes to cook her ham in her slow cooker using a can of coke, some brown sugar, and a can of pineapple.  We decided to give this recipe a try on Sunday.  It was very sweet, and we all liked it.  I shared with that mom today that while the flavor was good, it had a different texture being cooked in the slow cooker.  I also think I should have let the ham sit for awhile longer before I sliced it.  Nonetheless, we enjoyed our Easter dinner, and we have some leftover ham that I decided to do something with tonight for dinner.

A few weeks ago, there was an Ingredient Spotlight on Pineapple over at Eat At Home.  I noticed a recipe there for a grilled ham and pineapple sandwich that I thought sounded interesting, so I gave it a try for our weekly sandwich night. 

Well, all I can say is that this sandwich is likely to be making a repeat appearance on our weekly menu for Sandwich Night.  We often eat grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, but this was the first time I've ever thrown on a slice of pineapple.  And instead of regular sliced cheese, I used spreadable cream cheese.  It was easy and very tasty.  Because I made it with leftovers, it was very budget friendly too.  We had to eat in shifts this evening due to our schedule, but the sandwiches were easy to assemble and grill in batches in just a few minutes.  I think what made these sandwiches the best was the bread.  Instead of regular sandwich bread, I used bakery fresh bread (like the $1 Italian loaf from Kroger).  This sandwich was similar to something you'd find at a locally owned restaurant.  Add some chips and some fruit or a light salad, and your meal is complete.  (Try to ignore the awful shadow in the photo; it was late and my photo set up was not ready!)

Here's the simple recipe:

Grilled Ham and Pineapple Sandwiches
1/2 loaf of sliced bakery bread (I used the Kroger Italian loaf)
spreadable cream cheese
ham slices
pineapple slices
butter

1.  Spread cream cheese on the inside of 2 pieces of bread.
2.  Top one slice of bread with slices of ham and pineapple rings. (I cut the rings so they fit better; I need more pineapple next time so you get some pineapple in every bite)
3.  Top with the other piece of bread.
4.  Pan fry in melted butter over medium high heat until golden on each side.
(You can also spread the outside of the bread with spreadable butter and then cook on a griddle or in a pan over medium high heat but the melted butter in the pan gives it a nice crunch on all the edges like how it is at a restaurant when you order a grilled sandwich)

Grilled Ham and Pineapple Sandwich
Cream Cheese, Ham, Pineapple, Bakery Bread. . . . yummy!

What's your favorite way to use up leftover ham?

Fluffy Orange Salad

I posted my Fluffy Green Salad last week, so it's only natural that I post our other favorite, Fluffy Orange Salad, this week.  I think I need to work on coming up with more creative names for my recipes!   I don't have a picture for this one, but just picture a bowl or orange fluffy goodness and that's sort of what it looks like.

We first had this Fluffy Orange Salad after the birth of my youngest daughter.  Our wonderful neighbor, Brenda, brought us dinner including a container of this wonderful Fluffy Orange Salad.  As we ate spoonful after spoonful, we all tried to guess just what was in this delicious dish.  It tasted like a melted creamsicle.  I asked Brenda to share her recipe, and she did, so now I'm no sharing it with you.  Since then, Fluffy Orange Salad makes a regular appearance on our weekly menu.  I've tried to lighten up the original version a bit using sugar free and fat free products, and the results are favorable.  I've served it to many guests young and old, and they all think it's heavenly.  I hope you do, too.

Here's the recipe:

Fluffy Orange Salad
3 cups water
1 sm pkg orange sugar free jello
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 sm pkg cook and serve tapioca pudding
1 lg can mandarin oranges, drained
1 sm can crushed pineapple, drained
1 tub of Light Cool Whip

1.  In a sauce pan, bring water to a boil.
2.  Whisk in the jello and pudding mixes.
3.  Boil for 1 min.
4.  Remove from heat and let cool on counter.
5.  Fold in pineapple and oranges and cool whip being careful not to break up the oranges too much.
6.  Spoon into a serving bowl.
7.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

What's your favorite recipe you've ever received from a neighbor?

Fluffy Green Salad

Having red hair, I've always had a fondness for St. Patrick's Day.  We never really celebrated it when I was a kid other than wearing green to school.  But as a mom over the years, we've done some fun St. Patrick's Day activities.  Green food has always been a part of our festvities.  It's amazing what you can do with a bottle of green food coloring and some inspiration from the Internet!

This Fluffy Green Salad was the perfect accompaniment to our Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner this past week.  Because I had worked a full day at the gym meet last Saturday, we did not enjoy our Irish dinner until Monday, our typical Crock Pot Meal Day. Nonetheless, we devoured the tender meat and savory vegetables just as easily on March 19!  This sweet and tart Fluffy Green Salad comlimented the salty dinner very nicely.  The green coloring made it festive!

This Fluffy Green Salad is kind of a cross between a fruit salad and a dessert.  It was a recipe popular in the 1970's.  Maybe you remember eating it as a kid.  Most moms would add chopped nuts as the recipe suggested.  I don't like chopped nuts in my cool whippy type fruit salads, so we eat it without.  The few chopped nuts in the pistachio pudding are so fine that they don't seem to bother me.  We enjoyed bowls of the Fluffy Green Salad accompanied by a green shortbread cookie for our dessert.  It makes a great potluck dish and is loved by adults and kids alike.  When I have brought this dish to a gathering, I have caught guests scraping the bowl clean.  I have made this dish with fat free cool whip and sugar free pudding, and I can't tell a big difference from using the full fat and full sugar versions. 

Here's the recipe:

Fluffy Green Salad
1 lg can of pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapple (whatever is your texture preference)
1 sm box of pistachio pudding (sugar free/fat free work fine)
1 cup mini marshmallows (white or the pastel colored ones)
1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip (fat free, low fat, or regular)
a few drops of green food coloring, optional.

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the undrained pineapple and the pistachio pudding.
2.  Mix in the mini marshmallows.
3.  Fold in the Cool Whip.
4.  Add a few drops of green food coloring if you want to accent the green color.
4.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

So what do you think. . .fruit salad or dessert?



I linked up this recipe over at Eat At Home's Spotlight Ingredient: Pineapple.  Check out some of the other great recipes that involve pineapple.