Tastes of Home with Frito-Lay Recipe Contest & Giveaway!!

I live in Pennsylvania.  I didn't always live here, I grew up moving around because my dad was in the military.  Eventually we settled down in Pennsylvania, and as luck would have it, I fell in love and married a military man myself...and moved around some more.  We are finally back in Pennsylvania for good. 

Where we live, Amish Macaroni Salad is pretty popular.  I had never been a big fan of macaroni salads, and when I was dating my husband, he raved about it...but I was skeptical.  I mean, the man loves sweet bologna too!  (No offense meant if you do, but keep it *far* away from me, please!)  To be honest, before I started dating him, I had never even heard of Amish Macaroni Salad.  Once we were married, I decided to be a good wife and attempt to make it for him.  We were living in Virginia at the time, and we were a little bit homesick. 

I found a basic recipe, and went from there.  I was absolutely floored at how delicious it was!  I guess it's true, you shouldn't knock it 'til you've tried it.  I was hooked, and now I happily make my own Amish Macaroni Salad whenever we have barbecues or family gatherings.  It always reminds me of home.  I like to experiment with recipes though...as I'm eating them I'll think "You know, this would be so good with this or maybe a little of that," and when the mood strikes, I try it that way.  One variation I've tried reminds me of Lay's regional flavor, Garden Tomato & Basil.  As soon as I saw those bad boys on the shelf at the store, I knew I had to try them, and they are YUMMY. 

These chips were inspired by popular American regional cuisine and include:

• Northeastern U.S. - Lay's Honey Mustard
• Midwestern U.S. - Lay's Creamy Garden Ranch
• Northwestern U.S. - Lay's Balsamic Sweet Onion
• Southwestern U.S. - Lay's Chipotle Ranch
• Southeastern U.S. - Lay's Cajun Herb & Spice

Also available:

• Lay's Garden Tomato & Basil
• Lay's Tangy Carolina BBQ

All of the Lay’s Regional Flavored potato chips are made with all natural ingredients, and are cooked in healthier oils so they contain 0 grams of trans fats per serving. Plus, there is less sodium in them than you might think -- a 1-oz serving of Lay's Regional Flavored potato chips contains less salt than a plain bagel!  I would love to be able to try the Cajun Herb & Spice, and the Creamy Garden Ranch varieties.  How about you?

When Frito-Lay invited me to participate in the Tastes from Home with Frito-Lay recipe contest, I knew this variation on Amish Macaroni Salad would have to be my entry.  I never really thought of an official name for it though, it's almost like a Caprese Amish Macaroni Salad?  Or just Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella Amish Macaroni Salad?  What would you call it?


A few of the ingredients set out and ready to go.

 *Note, this recipe makes a lot.  It makes way more than my family of four can eat in one day, but my husband loves Amish Macaroni Salad so much that when I make, I just go ahead and make a lot of it.  He'll eat it, haha.

4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters

1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese (or more, if you really like it...I play around with amounts depending on my mood...today I actually added two cups)

3 tablespoons dill pickle relish (you can substitute sweet pickle relish if you prefer, my husband does)

3 cups creamy salad dressing or mayo (whichever you prefer, I've even mixed, or used mayo and ranch dressing together, which is my preferred combination)

1/4 cup and 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

1 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

chopped (fresh!) basil to taste.  I use 4 or 5 leaves. 

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  I add just a dash of salt to the pot. 

Add macaroni, cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. 

Drain macaroni.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, celery, red pepper, tomatoes, mozzarella and relish.

In a smaller bowl, mix the salad dressing or mayo, mustard, white sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seed.  (I have tried to consolidate steps, and mix everything up in one bowl before, but it really does work better this way.)

Pour this mixture over the vegetable mixture, and then stir in the macaroni.  Add chopped basil to taste. 

Cover, and chill until ready to be served.


Why is it so hard to take appetizing photos of food?

Enjoy!  I like to eat a small serving while it's still warm from the macaroni.

I made this tonight, with some sweet onion burgers (which I suppose I could have shared as these remind me of the Balsamic Sweet Onion flavor!), seasoned fries, and green beans.


Dinner.  Yum!

  For a more "traditional" (not sure if traditional is the right word...I have no idea about the history of this macaroni salad) Amish Macaroni Salad, just leave out the tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese.  You can add onions if you like them, but I don't care for them.

Would you like to win a variety pack of Lay's Regionally Inspired potato chips?

 

Mandatory Entry:

Share the Lay's Regionally Inspired Flavor that reminds you of a recipe from home.

Extra Entries:

-Follow Frito-Lay onTwitter @FritoLayUSA.

-Tweet the following:

I just entered to win a Frito-Lay prize pack @FlipFlopReviews by sharing my favorite #FritoFlavors!

-Share a recipe that one of these great Lay's flavors makes you think of.

-Follow Flip Flop Reviews (publicly) on Google Friend Connect. If you already follow us, great, let us know.

-Like Flip Flop Reviews on Facebook.

-Follow Flip Flop Reviews with Networked Blogs. (check the sidebar)

-Follow Flip Flop Reviews on Twitter @FlipFlopReviews.

-Blog about this giveaway and leave the link in a comment.

-Enter one of our other current giveaways and let me know which one you entered. (Feel free to leave one comment for each giveaway entered)

-Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post here at Flip Flop Reviews. Just leave a link to the post you commented on here.

This giveaway will end on 8/16/2011 at 8pm EST. Any entries after that will not count. Please make sure that you leave an email address or some way to contact you in your comments. If we can't figure out how to get in touch with you, you can't win! :o) Good luck! 

*I may be sent one or more of the products mentioned above for participating.  This blog post is considered an entry itno the Frito-Lay Tastes of Home Contest.  In the event of a giveaway, the prize is shipped by the sponsor and I hold no responsibility. Thank you for reading!

Summer Party Tips from Frito Lay

Tips from Frito Lay for hosting the perfect summer soiree:

• Keep Your Cool – When it’s hot outside, the last place you want to be is in a kitchen with the oven blazing! Cool down with appetizers and snacks made from fruits and veggies, like our easy-to-make Garden Lime Dip — a perfect pairing with snacks like Tostitos® Hint of Lime chips!

• Keep it Simple – A party isn’t a party without chips and dip, but not all chips are created equal. For example, some of Frito-Lay’s most popular snacks, such as Tostitos Scoops! tortilla chips and Lay’s Classic potato chips are made with only three simple ingredients: potatoes or corn, healthier oils and salt - that’s it!  Use your favorite chips as a vehicle to dish up extra nutrition by pairing them with dips made with fruits and vegetables, like our Mango Salsa Chutney.

• Keep it Fun – Give a traditional potluck a modern twist by asking guests to share their recipes before they arrive. As guests leave the party, provide them with a festive printout of all the recipes so they can recreate the tasty dishes at home.

My tip, is to make sure you have plenty of Lays chips, cut up veggies, and dip mix on hand!  At least, with my family, we go through them quickly at our get togethers.  I'd rather have extra after the party than not enough during. 

What is your best Summer entertaining tip?  Is there a must have recipe you'd like to share?  What's your favorite dip/chip combination?  I love bbq chips with ranch dip!

Be sure to check out these new Lay’s® Potato Chips Regional Flavors:

New Lay's® Honey Mustard – available in Northeastern U.S.
Lay's® Creamy Garden Ranch – available in Midwestern U.S.
Lay's® Chipotle Ranch – available in Southwestern U.S.

And don't forget about the new Tostitos Multigrain Scoops!



*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for the purposes of this review through the above mentioned company or representing PR agency. In the event of a giveaway, the prize is shipped by the sponsor and I hold no responsibility. Thank you for reading!