Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Catalina Bean Salad

This is really me trying to do two things: 1) find new snacks and 2) get more veggies in. Well, its pretty healthy. I did use Kraft FREE dressing, and low fat cheese so that helps, other than that its all veggies...oh, yes, those are Fritos, but come on...me depriving myself completely only leads to things much much worse. Think of them as a garnish or a condiment, not a side like you would have fries with a burger or chips with a sandwich!

Keep in mind you can really do whatever you want with this recipe. You can use any variation of beans...kidney, navy, ranch style, black, or any combination of those. The same goes for the cheese...cheddar, mexican, sharp, mozzarella, colby jack, etc. I used a white onion, if you like red, use red! Or leave them out all together. I know I've seen this recipe with jalapenos, red or green bell peppers, even hamburger meat, or shredded lettuce. My only comment on the lettuce. Add this over lettuce, or stirred into lettuce when this is served, or else it gets mushy. Same with the fritos. I stir my fritos in last minute! My mom, just has everything chopped and on hand and when everyone is ready to eat she throws all the ingredients in a giant storage bag, shakes it up and dumps it in a bowl. Everything is fresh, the lettuce is crisp and the Fritos are crunchy! YUM!
All that being said, I guess this isn't really a recipe, you can toss things together and make it your own...the keys things are, Catalina dressing, beans, cheese, and a few other chopped veggies, and some crunchy chips on top (Fritos seem best, but tortilla chips would work). So here is my version and my snack for the next couple of days...play with it and enjoy.

Toss/Mix the following together in a bowl and serve chilled:
1 can Ranch style beans (half way drained)
1 small can sliced black olives
1/4 finely chopped white onion
1/2 diced tomato
1-1 1/2 cups of low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove minced garlic
8 oz. Kraft Free Catalina Salad Dressing


Use Fritos crushed atop this as a salad (or you can use the scoops and even eat as a dip!)




2 comments:

  1. I love this idea! I'm actually looking for veg. ideas for a small party this weekend. This looks promising!

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  2. My friend makes this for picnics all the time and i love it! Its so addictive with the sweet dressing and salty chips - yum!

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