summer side

This Healthier Mayo-Free Macaroni Salad is made with Greek yogurt and is so flavorful!

Healthier Mayo-Free Macaroni Salad

macaroni

cherry tomaotes

green pepper

corn kernels

cucumber

red onion

low fat Greek yogurt

water

white wine vinegar

dijon mustard

maple syrup

dill

parsley

garlic powder

onion powder

paprika

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water and add to a large bowl.

Add all the diced vegetables to the pasta.

Add all dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl and mix until combined.  Pour desired amount of dressing over macaroni salad and mix until combined.

Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.

Orzo Stuffed Peppers get their Italian flavor from the dried Italian herbs and the flat-leaf parsley. The peppers are packed with nutritious spinach and grape tomatoes along with the pasta. The recipe is low in fat and high in taste and satisfaction.

Orzo Stuffed Peppers Italian Style with Spinach and Grape Tomatoes

orzo (rice-shaped pasta, cooked al dente according to directions.)

extra virgin olive oil

garlic (minced (divided))

Tablespoon fresh-flat leaf parsley (chopped)

Italian seasoning

salt

pepper

colored pepper (yellow, orange,

baby spinach leaves

grape tomatoes halved

Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

panko crumbs

butter (melted)

In a large pot, boil salted water for orzo; cook until al dente, following package instruction. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Cook the 1 teaspoon of the minced garlic in the 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Stir.  Once the oil is fragrant but not brown add the spinach, grape tomatoes, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Let cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until the spinach and grape tomatoes release their juice.

Stir in the cooked orzo and add a little of the pasta water a little at a time so that the ingredients all mix together. Add the parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the melted butter. Pour the butter mixture of the panko crumbs and mix. Add freshly ground pepper.

To assemble:

Preheat over 425 F.

Arrange the pepper halves in an oil sprayed casserole dish. Fill the peppers with the orzo mixture - pile on!! Top with the garlicky breadcrumbs.

Loosely cover top with foil and set in oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil the last 5 minutes of baking.

Let rest a few minutes then serve.

I thought this was a great recipe. I doubled the recipe and followed except for a few little things - lightly roasted peppers before filling, used jarred marinara in place of the fresh tomatos and melted some mozzerella on top during the last five minutes. Thanks.

These stuffed peppers have so many great flavors and textures!  Such a hearty dinner!

These look so good! I made orzo salad the other day and didn't know what to do with the rest of the bag. Trying this out tomorrow!

Oh YUM!  I am so all over this recipe! It looks absolutely fantastic and easy too! Plus those flavors in it are just my cup of tea! Definitely making this over the weekend!

These stuffed peppers look so delicious and comforting! I love this idea for orzo and cannot wait to try!

We love stuffed peppers, and the orzo was such a yummy change. They were a hit, and I will be making these again!

Love your idea of cooking the stuffing first so the pepper doesn't overcook!  I am fond of eating bell peppers, but only red, yellow, or orange.  Every time I eat a green pepper, they are always bitter.  Can't wait to try your recipe.

We absolutely loved these peppers! The panko added such a wonderful crunch, and I loved the flavor of the Parmesan. We usually do stuffed peppers, but the orzo was such a nice change. We're definitely adding these to the rotation! They're truly fabulous.

Ooh I haven't had orzo, but this is such an easy recipe! Love how easy it is to prep with the peppers and how healthy it is.

I make stuffed peppers all the time but never with orzo! What a great idea to switch up the rice for orzo. Next time, I'm making mine Italian!

I love this stuffed peppers with orzo, I make usually with rice. I need to try with orzo I can get orange and yellow pepper now 98cents in grocery store. So I can make this. . You have big tree in backyard that is wonderful.

I absolutely stuffed peppers and yours look fantastic, Marisa!  The orzo stuffing sounds delicious...this is really a perfect meal :)

I love stuffed peppers, but I've never thought to stuff them with orzo. I'd love to try these with all of their brilliant Italian flavors.

Stuffed peppers are like the best thing in all cultures. My in-laws make stuffed peppers with rice. My mom made it with ground beef or shrimps. This Orzo sounds perfect too! I love how simple this is. I can imagine how much work there is in the garden with all those sticks and leaves falling this time of the year.

I love this twist on a stuffed pepper and using orange and yellow peppers sounds all of the sweeter :)

I have always used escarole in mine like my mom but we do love spinach more ,,  I am going to sub it next time and I love the idea of all those colored peppers what a pretty dish this made!  thanks for all the new ideas!

This spinach gratin is brimming with flavor but isn't loaded with cream and cheese. The rich taste comes for thickened chicken broth and Parmesan cheese. The gratin is topped with a buttery crunchy parmesan breadcrumb topping.

The Best Baked Spinach Gratin — A Streamlined Julia Child Recipe

baby spinach

mushrooms

garlic (minced)

onion (diced)

Tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)

olive oil

hot pepper flakes

Tablespoons flour

chicken broth

nutmeg

Parmesan cheese (divided)

Panko crumbs

In a deep saute pan heat the olive oil and 1 1/2 Tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Sauté the onion until translucent about 2 minutes then add the garlic, hot pepper flakes and cook for another minute.

Add the mushrooms, stir and continue to sauté until they begin to turn golden.

Slowly add the spinach leaves until they begin to wilt. Add 1/4 cup of the broth, add salt and pepper to taste, cover the pan with lid, and cook over medium heat.

Once the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes, uncover and continue to stir. Don't let all of the moisture evaporate. You may have to add a little bit of water.

In the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth whisk in the flour until it's dissolved.

Slowly pour the broth over the spinach and mushrooms and continue to stir until thick. Add a dash of nutmeg.

Stir in 2 Tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.

Pour the mixture into a buttered gratin pan or glass casserole.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a bowl mix the Panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Melt the remaining butter and add that to the topping and mix well.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the spinach gratin.

Bake until heated through and slightly golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

This is so incredible Marisa. I love spinach but my kids have yet to start enjoying leaves. I think they get it from their father. Ziv won't eat leaves as well. I am going to make this for myself soon. I would love this so much cause I love spinach

I am a huge julia fan and spinach! I bet this smells fabulous cooking too .. Not sure there is a better way to prepare spinach than this dish it really changes it up perfectly to a whole new level.  All my mom ever did was fry it in garlic and red pepper flakes. I still do that but add it to a sandwich! LOL   great dish will try this!

I like the simple and easy list of ingredients. This is really a great recipe. Very tasty and quite original. I love it! I am going to try this out. Thank you.

I think I can even get my kids to eat spinach and mushrooms when mixed with butter, cheese, and breadcrumbs - sounds so good! What a great comfort food side dish!

Yum! The fella just loves spinach, especially when it's creamy like this. It's also the one way I know that I can sneak some mushrooms into dinner without a fuss. Your recipe looks beautiful!

This looks like a GREAT side dish. Perfect for taking along to potlucks too. We ALL love spinach in our house. Perfect pairing for a great BBQ's steak....this would be a crowd pleaser for sure.

I love spinach and mushrooms any day of the week! I love your creativity of transforming this into another great dish. I love that this will be an awesome dish for any night and a great one for holidays and guests

This looks so lovely! I've never had spinach prepared like this and it seems like a wonderful addition to any meal!

I've never thought of spinach for gratin, but it looks so good!  We eat a lot of leafy greens so I'm always looking for new recipes - I bet this would be great with kale too, once the early spring kale CSA starts!

Cool cucumbers meet creamy ranch, bacon, and cheddar for a crisp, bold-flavored, no-cook summer salad.

Cucumber Ranch Crack Salad

cucumbers

ranch dressing

cheddar cheese

bacon

green onions

Salt and pepper

Prepare Vegetables

Combine Ingredients

In a large bowl, mix sliced cucumbers, shredded cheddar cheese, cooked crumbled bacon, and chopped green onions.

Add Dressing and Seasoning

Pour in ranch dressing. Sprinkle garlic powder, dried dill, salt, and pepper over the mixture.

Toss Salad

Mix until all ingredients are evenly coated.

Optional Chill

Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes for enhanced flavor.

Serve and Garnish

Serve cold and garnish with extra bacon or green onions if desired.

Top 4 summer side recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Healthier Mayo-Free Macaroni Salad

Orzo Stuffed Peppers Italian Style ...

The Best Baked Spinach Gratin — A S...

Cucumber Ranch Crack Salad

Top 4 summer side recipes from across the web

The most viewed summer side recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Healthier Mayo-Free Macaroni Salad

Orzo Stuffed Peppers Italian Style ...

The Best Baked Spinach Gratin — A S...

Cucumber Ranch Crack Salad

The most viewed summer side recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine