The One With the Tortellini Broccoli Salad and Bruschetta

Even more party food recipes!
On the menu last Sunday we had Tortellini and Broccoli Salad and Bruschetta - two of my favorite party foods. Pretty simple and pretty delicious.

This recipe is party-sized, so if you're making it for dinner, halve it!
For the Tortellini Broccoli Salad:

• 2 bags frozen tortellini (19 oz. each)
• 4-6 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much you like broccoli)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 tsp chopped chives
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
•  Coleslaw dressing

Prep the salad: Cook the tortellini, drain and set to cool.  Cut broccoli into bit-sized pieces. Cook and chop up bacon. Mix all ingredients together and toss with the coleslaw dressing. I like to make it pretty moist, but this part is up to you. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour so that the salad soaks up all the flavor.

Tip for preparing ahead of time: Cook  and cut up the bacon and the broccoli the night before. Do not cook the tortellini until the day of the party and then combine all ingredients just a few hours (at most) before the party.

 

Bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers and it is so easy!

For a small gathering I will do just one baguette and for a party I'll use two. Again, the recipe listed below is party-sized.

For the bruschetta:

• 2 baguettes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbls lemon juice
• 3 cups diced roma tomatoes
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 2 Tbls basil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix together well. I like to make this either the day before or at least a few hours before so that all the flavors mix together really well. Right before serving time, cut the baguette into thin slices and broil until lightly toasted. Spoon the mixture onto the toasted slices and serve with a smile. :-)

As a side note: the other salads featured where a Caesar salad and a pasta salad. I just make up the ingredient amounts as I go, but for the Caesar I use chicken grilled with garlic salt and oil, lettuce, parmesan, croutons and, of course, Caesar dressing. The pasta salad is a recipe from Mallory and just uses the pasta of your choice, tomatoes, red onion, olives, cucumbers, feta cheese, diced salami and Italian dressing in the quantities you desire.

This pretty much ends the food-related birthday posts. And just in case you think I'm a one-woman show, I'd like to take this moment to say a HUGE thank you to Allison, Mallory and my mom for all of their help in the kitchen. And a big thanks to Steve for entertaining babies, too. I love you all!