This is truly such a super simple salad that packs in so much flavor! It's a breeze to throw together and can easily be turned into a main entree by adding some chopped rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken to make it more hearty.

You'll love the lemon, poppy seed, and blueberry combo here. It may not be the first thing you'd think to add to salad, maybe perhaps more along the lines of a baked treat, but it works exceptionally well for a salad too.

Its sweet, tart, fruity, nutty, cheesy flavor fusion is completely crave-able, and it's bursting with fresh, nutritious goodness in every bite.

It's a different salad for a change, that's set to satisfy every tastebud and I'd say will likely even brighten your day!

These ham and Swiss slider sandwiches are crowd pleasing party favorite, a weeknight dinner the family can agree on, or even a helpful leftover holiday ham recipe.

They can be made with store-bought bakery rolls for a quick option, or for fresh homestyle goodness try them try them on homemade dinner rolls.

Their ham, cheese, creamy honey mustard combo is a flavor trio everyone will love! Plus there's a bonus of everything bagel style seasoning atop as a finishing touch, paired with a generous dose of butter of course.

You'll love these because they are a classic that's easy to make, clean up is simple, and it's a recipe both young and old alike will thoroughly enjoy. You get so much flavor and cheesy goodness in every bite!

Like this Winter version? Also try my go-to classic fruit salad recipe filled with summer fruit.

Winter Fruit Salad Recipe

Typically we think of fruit salads as a summer side dish but there's still an abundance of fruit in season during winter so why not take advantage of that and make a healthy winter fruit salad?

I first shared this recipe eight years ago and we've made it several times each year since. It's so good it almost passes as a tempting dessert!

This is a great dish to add to a holiday menu because there are often lots of heavy sides served but this is a light, refreshing and nutritious option to help balance those out a bit.

You'll find this inviting fruit salad is so easy to make and it adds so much festive natural color to your table.

Just keep in mind the most important thing about a fruit salad is the quality of the fruit. You want the fruit to have a sweet ripe flavor and firm enough texture that it won't get mushy.

From there the honey and lemon will just balance and highlight all of it's natural, fresh fruity goodness.

Tossed together and ready in only 10 minutes, it’s a crowd-pleasing summer recipe! 

Easy Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Strawberries are one of my favorite summer fruits, and while I love sweet treats like strawberry shortcake trifles and a freshly baked strawberry rhubarb crumb bars, one of the best ways to put them to use is in this strawberry and spinach salad.

It’s made with a base of fresh spinach and strawberries tossed in a homemade poppyseed dressing, and you may love to include almonds and feta cheese, too. 

You’ll find it comes together in minutes and makes a large batch perfect for feeding a crowd. Whether you need a quick side dish or a nutritious meal (with added rotisserie chicken), this salad always has your back. Plus, the dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge so you can make this salad on repeat. 

This may quickly become a go-to summer recipe for you! It's a breeze to throw together, has such a refreshing satisfying flavor, and you can easily modify the recipe using ingredients you have on hand (think spring salad blend, or blueberries or raspberries work well too).

So much to love about this super fresh salad!

Ricotta Cookies

No, ricotta isn't just for dinner (like these go-to Lasagna Roll Ups and that Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta). It makes delicious desserts like the classic Cannoli, Lemon Ricotta Cake, and these easy Cannoli Cream Filled Puff Pasty Tarts. But of course one of the best desserts you can make with cannoli are the heavenly Italian Ricotta Cookies.

You don't taste the ricotta in the cookies but rather you it lends a wonderful richness and moisture to the cookies. It's like that secret ingredient that no one could quite put there finger on.

Since ricotta cookies are one of my favorites (have you tried my Orange Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies yet??), I decided to throw out another flavor - these oh so tasty Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Cookies.

It's a classic pairing with that tangy lemon and the added texture of those chewy flecks of poppy seeds (which also add a nice background layer of flavor to compliment the lemon). It's a match that was destined to be in ricotta cookie form. These are without a doubt a must try cookie!

A Delicious Autumn Spinach Salad

I knew from the beginning though that I would love it because I used my super delicious, super popular Orange Poppy Seed Dressing from my Cranberry Avocado Chicken and Spinach Salad.

The flavors, the colors, the textures, the sweet, the salty, the tang it's all spot on perfect in my opinion.

You get those tender spinach leaves laden with crisp sweet apples, bright tangy oranges and those soft and juicy mellow pears.

Then you add toasted crunchy pecans and salty feta to that blend and finally finish it all off with the most irresistible Orange Poppy Seed Dressing!

Pasta Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This year I've been allll about those pasta salads! I didn't fully appreciate them until the last few years so I guess I'm just catching up.

And now I'm thinking of fun pasta salad flavors I've never tried before, like this perfectly delicious Poppy Seed Chicken and Grape Pasta Salad!

I'll always go for a good poppy seed dressing when it's an option so I knew it would be good added to a pasta salad, I also really love this Poppy Seed Chicken Salad recipe of mine.

So I combined those two ideas together and here you are left with a perfectly summery super tasty pasta salad! It's such a great side dish to serve at all your summer cookouts.

Don't Leave Out the Almonds!

For this recipe I used Fisher Sliced Almonds and they are a key ingredient here. I love that they are preservative free and I also love the resealable packaging that helps them stay fresh!

My family likes to snack on them plus we add them to so many things.

My husbands favorite way to use them is in his protein smoothies, they blend up easily and they give it a creamy texture and make it more filling. And one of my favorite way to use them is in salads, like so.

I love that they are thinly sliced so you get that perfect thin bite with each piece for multiple layers of crunch!

How do I Make this Poppy Seed Chicken Pasta Salad?

• Cook pasta, drain and rinse then set aside to cool.
• Whisk together dressing ingredients in a bowl.
• To a salad bowl add drained pasta, chicken, grapes, celery, almonds, green onions and cranberries.
• Pour dressing over and toss to coat, season with salt and pepper.
• Chill at least 30 minutes.

Allow Time for the Pasta Salad to Rest

Once you add the dressing there will seem like there's too much, there's not, it just needs time to rest and allow the pasta to absorb some of the dressing. So be sure to give it at least 30 minutes to rest.

Can I Reduce the Sugar?

If you aren't generally a big fan of the sweetness of poppy seed dressing then you can reduce the sugar or even omit it in this recipe. But I liked the unique sweetness it gave this pasta salad, plus it gives it that traditional flavor of poppy seed dressing.

Can I Make it Ahead of Time?

You can make this a day an advance and it's still so delicious. That's one of the great things about most pasta salads is that they can be made ahead.

More Summer Recipes You'll Love

• Strawberry Lemonade
• Slow Cooker Ribs
• Potato Salad

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fisher nuts. The opinions and text are all mine.

Mandarin Pomegranate Spinach Salad

Those pretty fall/winter colors though! I love salads like this that are beautifully colorful and taste amazing. This vibrant dish will stand out on your Thanksgiving menu or Christmas dinner buffet.

This Mandarin Pomegranate and Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a great way to take advantage of the produce in season right now and it's just bursting with so much juicy freshness in every bite.

It is a perfect side dish to your favorite autumn meals and it would definitely be the hit of any get-together (it's like my Strawberry Spinach Salad that's always the first to go, but with seasonal produce).

This recipe is scaled for a single-family side salad, so if you're going to make it for a Thanksgiving dinner salad I would recommend doubling the recipe.

I spotted the first good pomegranates of the season a few weeks ago and I've been hooked ever since. Even though I already miss all of the fresh summer berries, I'm so glad there are still apples, pears, pomegranates, and oranges to look forward to this time of year. And they make such a delicious salad!

Preparing a Pomegranate for a Salad

It wasn't until later in life that I tried pomegranates for the first time and at first, I thought they were such a pain to seed.

My brother has a pomegranate tree in his backyard, and he showed me the most efficient way to get all those juicy little arils out by slicing, scoring, and tapping them out—but it still seemed somewhat complicated. So I still just do it the old-fashioned way by cutting in half, then kind of tearing the halves to sort of expose them more so I can pick them out in clumps.

Whatever works best for you right? I'll have to have my brother show me again though because his way was faster than mine. I've also heard people like this water method for seeding pomegranate.

Even if it took 30 minutes to get those arils out (don't worry—it doesn't!) it would be worth it for this salad. This is definitely a delicious and healthy salad I'll make again and again, especially as we near the holidays.

I love the pairing of mandarin oranges, pomegranates, and the two types of nuts in this salad. The balance of the creamy poppy seed dressing and avocados pulls the sweet and tangy together.

Mandarin Pomegranate Spinach Salad Variations

This salad is best in the fall and winter when this produce is in season, but I guarantee you can enjoy it year-round. Here are some variations you could try:

• Add chicken or shredded turkey for additional protein
• Add goat cheese or feta if you love a crumbly cheese with your salads
• Try craisins or dried cherries if you can't get your hands on fresh pomegranates
• Use candied walnuts or make your own to add more sweetness

More Salad Recipes You'll Love!

• Greek Salad
• Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad with Italian Dressing
• Garden Veggie Pasta Salad
• Autumn Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Best Thanksgiving Salad Recipe

This salad is easily one of my new favorites! It has such exciting flavors that all blend so amazingly well together!

We all know that cranberry and orange were made to go together but when you add in creamy avocados, salty feta cheese, crunchy toasted almonds, and a slightly sweet poppy seed dressing incredible things just happen. I'd put this on my Thanksgiving menu, skipping the chicken and adding more autumn elements, like a butternut squash in bite-sized pieces. I think this would also be delicious with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and pomegranate seeds.

Cranberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Orange Poppyseed Dressing

Then of course I added grilled chicken because I wanted to make a meal out of this, plus I just love the flavor of any kind of orange chicken so I knew this salad needed it. Pears or cherries would make great substitutions for the fruit, and you can get creative with the nuts too (my family loves pecans on everything for Thanksgiving dinner).

You can use another type of lettuce with this salad, pretty much any mellow type of lettuce will do, I just love spinach for its' color and nutrition. This would also make an incredible Brussels sprouts salad or kale salad. Choose goat cheese if you want a milder taste, or blue cheese if you like even more tangy flavor.

Another thing I may try adding to this sometime would be bacon. I actually love the way bacon and orange pair together, plus nearly any salad (or any food for that matter) is better with bacon, right?

Let me know if this salad joins your Thanksgiving side dishes! Enjoy!

I've always loved poppy seed bread, but it always used to be almond poppy seed that I would crave the most. Since I'm now in love with lemon-flavored everything, that has changed. Lemon is one of my favorite flavors. It's just so vibrant and refreshing. It's bold and I love that.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

These types of bread need a tender crumb, light flavor, and a sweet glaze or topping of some kind. I don't make the rules, but that's what we need. This bread has them all.

The lemon flavor in this bread shines. It has a generous amount of zest layered throughout the batter, lemon juice mixed into the batter, and a generous coating of a fresh lemon juice glaze brushed along the top. It uses granulated sugar instead of confectioners' sugar, along with 3-4 tablespoon lemon juice to give you a sweet and tangy texture.

With all that lemon, you are going to love the scent this brings to your kitchen. No candle or air freshener could come close to this natural lemony aroma.

Bakery-style Poppy Seed Bread

This is an incredibly easy recipe: stir dry ingredients together, then add to the mixed wet ingredients and pour into your loaf pan. I like to use parchment paper to make it easier to remove, but any cooking spray will work.

Is this bread or is this a cake? Well, I suppose it could go either way. My favorite part is definitely that sugar-coated topping. You'll be wanting to steal that portion from your kids or that guy sitting next to you (just do it while they aren't looking, like I did). One taste will just not be enough!

Or you could just be like my 3-year-old, she'll eat her slice of bread as she's sitting there watching a cartoon, and when it's over, she'll say, "Hey! Who ate my bread?" when really it was her and she just forgot.

But it's a great attempt at a second slice, though, just pretend someone stole it so you need another.

If you do have any leftovers (doubtful), just cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Try it warmed up from the toaster, or cooled in the refrigerator!

Enjoy!

More Recipes to Try

• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Lemon Poppy Seed Ricotta Cookies
• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Start with that up there. End with this lemon, sugary glazed deliciousness down here.

Not to be confused with blueberries, these are poppy seeds - just up close and personal...