Recipe Club and Potluck: March 2025

Spring is so close we can almost taste it-- so freshen up your kitchen repertoire with these fantastic dishes from this month's Recipe Club and Potluck Program! Get the recipe for fresh pasta salad, Irish soda bread, toffee squares, and more. Don't forget that registration for next month's Recipe Club opens Thursday, March 20 @ 9:00 am! We hope to see you there. 

Happy cooking! 

Macaroni Salad 

Ingredients 

• 8 ounces dried macaroni pasta
• 1 cup celery finely chopped
• ½ cup bell pepper finely chopped
• ½ cup red onion finely chopped
• ½ cup carrot diced
• ½ cup pickles finely chopped
• 2 hard-boiled eggs chopped

For the Dressing: 

• ¾ cup sour cream
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup pickle juice
• 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh parsley or other herbs (chives, basil) chopped

Directions 

1.  For the salad: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients.
2. For the dressing: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, pickle juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined. Stir in the chopped herbs. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Cover and let stand for 1 hour before serving or chill for up to 4 days. Best if made and refrigerated overnight before serving.

This recipe is from Preppy Kitchen. Get the full recipe and details here! 

Helly's Simple Recipe: Potato Veggie Patties 

Ingredients

• 1 potato
• 1 onion
• 50 g carrot
• Olive oil
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 30 g parmesan cheese
• 10 g parsley
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Paprika 

Directions 

• Dice the potato and place in a pot; cover with water and cook for 15 minutes on medium-high heat.
• Drain the water and mash the potatoes.
• Slice the onion and shred the carrot.
• Cook the onion over medium heat with a little olive oil for about two minutes; then add the carrot and cook 3-5 more minutes. Add these veggies to the mashed potato and mix well. 
  Scoop some potato and shape it into a ball, then coat in bread crumbs. Repeat until all of the potato/veggie is shaped.
• Place the patties in the pan with vegetable oil over medium heat and fry for 3-5 minutes, then flip over and fry for another 3 minutes. 
  
  This recipe is super delicious with sauce and cucumber salad! Get the full recipe, including a sauce and cucumber salad recipe, from Helly's Simple Recipe on YouTube. 

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients 

• 1 large cauliflower (about 2 ½ pounds)
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped almonds or sliced almonds
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil or additional parsley
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped tender sun-dried tomatoes
• ⅓ cup chopped red onion
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese or roughly chopped Kalamata olives

For the dressing: 

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. To prepare the cauliflower, use a chef’s knife to quarter it, then remove the core. Slice it as thinly as possible, then roughly chop the slices so they’re all bite-sized. Transfer the cauliflower to a medium serving bowl.
2. To toast the almonds, warm them in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a close eye on them until they’re fragrant and turning golden on the edges. Pour them into the bowl of cauliflower to cool.
3. To the bowl, add the parsley, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, onion and feta.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well blended. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss well.
5. Let the salad rest for 30 minutes before serving so the cauliflower can marinate in the dressing. Taste, and adjust if necessary—add a splash of olive oil for more richness, or a teaspoon of additional vinegar for acidity, or a pinch of salt for more overall flavor. This salad keeps very well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.

This recipe is from Cookie and Kate. Get the full recipe, and details, here! 

No-Cook White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added white beans, rinsed
• 1 (10-ounce) container cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup mozzarella pearls
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add spinach, beans, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil; toss to combine. Garnish with more fresh basil, if desired.

This recipe is from Eating Well. Get the recipe and details here! 

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup, plus two tablespoons, buttermilk
• 1/2 cup currants 

Directions 

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. Add the buttermilk and mix thoroughly into a soft dough.
2. Add the currants. Knead the dough on a lightly floured board for about three minutes, or until smooth.
3. Form the dough into a seven-inch flat round, and place in a lightly oiled cake tin. Cut a cross about 1/2 inch deep in the center of the round. Bake at 375 degrees F for about forty minutes, then cool on a wire rack. 

Toffee Squares 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 or 4 7-ounce milk chocolate bars
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts 

Directions 

1. Cream the butter, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt; mix well.
2. Press onto a 9x13 inch cookie sheet, leaving a 1-inch edge. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes, or until brown.
3. Break chocolate bars into squares and press them onto the hot baked layer. Let stand until melted; spread evenly over the top.
4. Sprinkle with nuts and cut into squares while warm.