# BEAN AND PASTA SALAD



## kitchenelf (Apr 7, 2003)

One of my favorite pasta dishes is this Bean and Pasta Salad.  If you double the recipe it will be enough for everyone.

BEAN AND PASTA SALAD 

8 oz. uncooked rotini 
1 can black beans 
1 can great Northern beans 
1 can kidney beans 
1 11-oz. can whole kernel corn 
1 2-oz. jar pimiento, chopped 
1/2 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 cup Zesty Italian dressing (I use Kraft)
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper 
1/2 tsp. dry mustard 

Cook and cool rotini. Mix all beans, corn and pimiento in bowl with juice from cans. While pasta is cooking and beans are soaking in a bowl mix mayo, Italian dressing, pepper, and mustard. 

Pour bean mixture into colander, rinse and drain. Mix mayo mixture with the bean mixture making sure everything is coated well and refrigerate for 2 hours. 
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*MY NOTES:* The mixture HAS to refrigerate for 2 hours to let the Italian dressing "calm" down. After 2 hours you can't taste it like you can at first. It will taste nothing like it does at first. *ALSO* to make it more kid-friendly you can leave out the ground red pepper or just cut down on it. Even though the recipe doesn't call for much it has a wee bit of an impact on the dish.

Now, to make this a chicken dish you can pre-grill some chicken breasts (pound them out first), cut in nice chunks (but not so big you have to have knives!!) and add to bowl to sit in fridge for 2 hours.

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If you decided that you wanted to do this I like to serve Cheesy Cornbread with it. This you could have in the oven ready to come out when you're ready to eat. But believe me, it's still good cold!!!

Cheesy Spoon Bread 

Part #1 
1 4-oz. can green chilies, chopped 
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese 

Part #2 Ingredients: 
1 can cream style corn 
3/4 cup milk 
2 eggs 
1/3 cup cooking oil 

Part #3 Ingredients: 
1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal 
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt 

Method: 

Take out seeds and veins from green chilies if using whole ones and chop. Otherwise, just use chopped ones. 

Mix together all ingredients in Part #2. - set aside. 

Mix together all ingredients in Part #3. - set aside. 

Butter a 9 x 9 baking pan. Mix #2 and #3 together. Pour 1/2 of the batter into pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of cheese and all of chilies on top of this layer. Pour rest of batter on top of this and then top with remaining cheese. 

Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool a bit and serve. 

For spicier cornbread add jalapeno peppers, Tobasco or cayenne for a bite.  My new favorite hot sauce is Chilula - it has a round wooden cap - if you can find it try it - heat with flavor.

*MY NOTES:* You can double the recipe and use a 13 x 9 baking dish. I'd say you would need 2 pans so that would be 4 recipes. That's a pretty simple meal - everything in one bowl/plate and a fork!!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE!


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