Pasta Salad, Chicken and Corn Torte

Yesterday, I was having a beef craving, so I asked Don to cook hamburgers on the grill. Why are burgers so much better on the grill? The beef was lean, and the cheese was a low-fat cheddar - and the flavor was divine. To go with them, I made a pasta salad using some whole-wheat penne. I had some Dreamfields, too, but decided to work on using up the whole wheat first before I make the switch completely. This pasta salad ended up better than my previous ones, since I used a mixture of mayonnaise and Miracle Whip instead of straight Miracle Whip, put in a few more pickles than I normally did, and added shredded carrots.

Pasta Salad


8 oz. pasta, cooked and cooled (macaroni, penne, shells)
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 cup diced sweet pickle (I used 6 baby gherkins)
14 cup shredded carrot (I used 6 baby carrots)
3 hard-boiled eggs, diced
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. Miracle Whip
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients; chill until ready to serve.


Tonight I had a little time to make dinner, so I threw together this miniature casserole. I call it a torte, because it's similar to a dish I had at El Torito Grill a couple of weeks ago - layers of tortilla with chicken, corn, cheese, and sauce. The picture doesn't do it justice - it was really good!

Chicken and Corn Torte

1/4 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 15-oz. can corn, drained
1 10-oz can Old El Paso Medium red enchilada sauce
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
5 corn tortillas
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375˚. In a small skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil until onion is golden. Add drained corn and stir until any liquid left over in the corn is gone. Spray a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put a tablespoon of the enchilada sauce in the dish, and then a corn tortilla. Spread half of the onion-corn mixture and top with 1/6 of the shredded cheese. Spoon over a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Put another tortilla in the pan, and top that with half of the chicken, another 1/6 of the cheese, and some more sauce. Repeat layers. Top all with the 5th tortilla, the last couple tablespoons of sauce, and the last of the cheese. Cover and bake 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with some sour cream and tortilla chips on the side.