#538: Cucumber Chicken Salad Rolls

So I found a recipe for cucumber feta rolls which sounded delicious, but not something I wanted to make right now.  But it inspired me to make the same thing, but filled with chicken salad.  Aren't these cute?  They are really yummy too.  I definitely prefer to eat my chicken salad on a nice pretzel roll or croissant, but when trying to cut back on carbs, these are definitely a keeper.

The only thing I didn't like about these roll-ups is that the cucumber got soft (from the extreme amount of moisture in it!) if it sat too long.  So these are really only good if eaten immediately...at least in my opinion.

Slice a cucumber length-wise into thin strips.
Fill with any pre-made chicken salad (mine has a little mayo, and sliced carrots and orange peppers added to it), and roll up. 
Secure with a toothpick if needed. 

How simple is that?

#537: Mini Cauliflower Pizza Bites

These "pizza bites" were supposed to be made in mini muffin tins, but as I've said before, I HATE cleaning out muffin tins.  So I decided to make these in an 8x8 pan and just cut into squares.  Obviously these would be much prettier coming out of muffin tins (see original photo for proof!).  For having no flour or pizza dough this does taste quite a bit like pizza (it's probably because of the pepperoni).  I enjoyed these immensely.  This is a great, different, healthy snack.  Gotta love getting in more veggies!

2 cups Cauliflower (about 1/2 head of cauliflower)

1 large egg white

1/8 cup Low fat cottage cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp Dried oregano

1/2 tsp Dried basil

1/4 tsp Garlic powder

1/4 cup Mini turkey pepperoni’s (or regular size turkey pepperoni cut into quarters)

Preheat oven to 425. Line 14 mini muffin cups with silicone liners, or foil muffin liners with paper liners removed. Spray liners with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Wash cauliflower, and cut in half, (save the rest for later). Break cauliflower into segments, and place in food processor. Pulse until it reaches a rice-like texture. Place cauliflower in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. (Do NOT add water or cover).

Remove cauliflower from microwave and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Place back in microwave for 2 minutes. Mix again. Scoop cauliflower mixture into muffin liners, dividing evenly between the 14 mini liners. Fill to the top, and press filling down so it’s compact in liner. Place muffin tin in the oven and bake muffins for 30-35 minutes, or when top starts to become golden brown.

Remove from the oven, let cool completely before popping the muffins out of the liners. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping!

#536: Bacon Egg Cups

Talk about a super easy, low carb breakfast!  These were so super yummy I cannot wait to make these again.  Delicious!!

Makes 12 cups
12 slices bacon
8 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whip the eggs, salt, pepper and cheese with a fork. Spray non stick spray in 12 muffin tins. Wrap each piece of bacon inside the sides of each muffin cup.  Fill each bacon lined muffin cup 3/4 of the way with the egg mixture.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the egg cups are golden brown and don’t jiggle. Use a knife to scoop them out of the tins. Serve immediately.

#535: Bacon Wrapped Turkey Meatloaf

Here's a freezer meal that I made a few weeks before Matthew was born.  We finally took it out of the freezer and made it for dinner tonight.  We all enjoyed this, but Brian was not a fan of the bacon.  I however, loved it!  I'd definitely, definitely make this again for dinner (with the Bacon...Brian can just pull it off).  :)

1-1/4 lbs ground turkey
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp rosemary
3/4 cup unflavored bread crumbs
1 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
8 slices bacon, cut in half

In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, garlic, rosemary, Worcestershire, bread crumbs and egg. Use your hands to mix together lightly until well combined. Add in the green pepper and onion and combine.

Divide mixture into four servings. Shape each into a mini-loaf shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and/or tin foil. Freeze for up to one month.

Last Minute Preparation:  Allow meatloaves to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using four of the bacon pieces for each meatloaf, wrap the bacon tightly around the top of each loaf. Place loaves on lightly oiled baking sheet and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

#534: Asian Edamame Fried Rice

Delicious!  Oh my goodness was this yummy and it was a snap to throw together.  I was even able to make it quickly while Matthew was napping (rare occurrence for him) AND I was on the phone with my sister-in-law. 

Personally, I'm leaving the eggs out next time.  And in my opinion, this didn't need extra salt because there was plenty in the soy sauce.  Yummy!  I'm eating this again for lunch tomorrow. 

3 cups leftover cooked brown rice
2 egg whites, scrambled
1 whole egg, scrambled
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated (I omitted b/c I didn't have any)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
cooking spray
1 cup ready-to-eat shelled edamame (I used edamame and lima beans b/c they were leftover from dinner) 
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or more to taste)
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Whisk eggs and egg whites, season with salt and pepper. In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

Let the wok get really hot. Add oil and cook onions, scallion whites, carrots and garlic for about 30-60 seconds, careful not to burn. Add brown rice and stir well a few minutes to heat through. Add cooked egg along with soy sauce, scallion greens and edamame, mixing well for about 3-4 minutes.

#533: Double Chocolate Banana Bread

It was about time I used up all of the frozen bananas in my freezer, so this was the recipe I decided to use them on.  I halved the recipe (I didn't need 2 loaves around here for breakfast, 1 was enough) and this was a snap to whip up.  I even did most of it one handed since I had a little one who refused to take a nap and wanted to be held. 

Doesn't that look yummy?  It is!  It is super moist too.  Probably my favorite banana bread yet!

1 cup margarine, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

6 bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup lite sour cream

1.5 cups milk chocolate chips (I used half semi-sweet and half white chocolate chips...love it!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

#532: Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

This was so good and easy and the girls and I LOVED it. Brian liked it too (and is even taking the leftovers for lunch) but he aparently prefers his chicken without sauce. Whatever. I totally intended to make this as directed but I totally forgot to get the Shake 'N Bake. So I googled how to make your own and realized it was basically Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs. So that's what I used instead.

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
1 pkt. SHAKE 'N BAKE Chicken Coating Mix (I substituted Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs)
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves (I omitted)

Heat oven to 400°F. Coat chicken with coating mix as directed on package; place in 13x9-inch pan. Bake 20 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). Top with remaining ingredients; bake 5 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

#531: Battered and Deep Fried Zucchini

Love these!  Enough said.  These were delicious...but what isn't good when it's been deep fried?  These were great alone, but they were even better dipped in a little bit of ranch dressing. 

1- 2 small zucchini
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
2 cups bread crumbs

Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and set aside.

Slice your zucchini about 1/4-1/2 inch thick, or to your desired thickness.  Combine the flour, oil, milk and egg and mix until you have a glue like consistency.  Add your sliced zucchini and mix, covering all the surfaces.  

Next place the zucchini in the breadcrumbs and coat well. 

Heat oil and fry each zucchini flipping to make sure each side gets a golden brown.  Let drain on papertowel until cool.

#530: Taco Cupcakes

I was very excited to try this recipe because we love tacos in our house and I had extra wonton wrappers in the freezer and didn't know what to do with them.  Doesn't that look yummy?  It was crispy and oh so good.  (And easy!)  All four of us enjoyed this one and we will definitely eat these again.  Definitely! 

1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 packet taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 can black beans, drained
2 cups 2% cheddar cheese, shredded
36 wonton wrappers
optional taco toppings - salsa, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, etc
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375

Spray 18 regular muffin pan cups with cooking spray. Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin cup. Top with about 1/2 tbsp of taco meat and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Top with another wonton wrapper and repeat with more taco meat and cheese.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Top with your favorite taco toppings.

#529: Chocolate Fudge Cake

The actual name of this recipe is Easy Peasy Chocolate Torte.  I found this on Money Saving Mom's website.  She's right, it is easy peasy, but this is anything but a torte.  So I'm changing the name of this one.  Not trying to take credit for coming up with the recipe just renaming it.  The next time I go to make this, I'm not going to be searching for my "torte" recipe.  It just doesn't fit. 

Okay, with that said, this is delicious!  I am definitely making this again...and again.  I could have eaten many, many pieces of this cake...it's that good!  And it definitely is easy.  The chocolate syrup really makes this cake moist. 

1 chocolate cake mix + ingredients needed to make it (I needed water, eggs and vegetable oil)
1 bottle of chocolate syrup
12 oz container of whipped topping
1/2 c Powdered sugar
Vanilla, to taste (I omitted)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Mix cake and bake according to directions. Let cool.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the top of the cake (I made about 20 holes) and drizzle 1/2 to 1-cup chocolate syrup over the cake making sure to pour the chocolate sauce into the holes. 

Combine whipped topping, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spoon whipping cream over top of the cake. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  (I drizzled chocolate syrup in lines horizontally over the cake, then used a knife to draw lines vertically through the cake to make the design).

Refrigerate until serving. Makes 10-12 servings.

#528: Cheesy Eggs and Rice

I was inspired to make this dish from this original Cheesy Egg and Rice Bake Recipe by Betty Crocker.  However, when I went to go make it for my lunch, it had too many ingredients for my liking.  So I decided to change it up a little bit...and I LOVED it!!

1/2 c cooked white rice
2 slices Canadian bacon, chopped
2 turkey sausage patties, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/3 c chopped broccoli (uncooked)
2 eggs
1/4 c milk
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/4 c shredded cheese (Mexican blend, cheddar, etc.)
1/2 tbsp butter

In a saute pan melt the butter.  Add in the turkey sausage, bell pepper and broccoli.  Cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes until turkey is cooked (heated) through and vegetables are crisp-tender. 

In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.

Add the rice and Canadian bacon to the sausage/veggie mixture.  Stir to combine.  Pour the egg mixture over the rice, meat and veggies and stir to scramble the eggs and continue cooking until the eggs are set.  Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir until cheese melts/combines. 

#527: Breakfast Omelet Muffins

I'm sure I've said this before, but I don't like eggs.  I WANT to like eggs, but I'm not a huge fan.  So I'm always willing to try other ways of eating eggs (besides scrambled with cheese or on an English muffin sandwich).  I'll admit, I was drawn to this recipe because the original photo has broccoli and crumbled sausage in it.  I LOVE breakfast sausage.  When I decided to make these for lunch (yes, lunch not breakfast) I planned on using turkey sausage patties, but then remembered I had some Canadian bacon about to expire in the fridge so I figured I'd use that instead.  YUMMY.  I loved these!  In fact, I ate 3 for lunch.

Next time I will definitely add some sausage in it with the ham/bacon.  Mmmm!  The amount of ingredients listed below is for 12 muffin cups.

1 pound Italian Sausage (I used Canadian bacon, but next time would use turkey breakfast sausage)
1 cup broccoli florets or other desired veggies (I used broccoli and red peppers)
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese as needed

Preheat oven to 375 F.  (Since I used Canadian bacon I skipped this step). In a large saute pan, over medium high heat, brown Italian Sausage for about 5 minutes, or until the sausage is no longer pink.

Remove from heat and stir in broccoli, veggies and shredded cheese.

Whisk together eggs, milk, oil and baking powder. Season with salt and pepper.  Lightly spray a 12-cupcake pan with oil.  Spoon out the sausage and veggie mixture evenly into each cupcake.

Ladle the egg mixture over sausage/veggie/cheese mixture.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

#526: Crockpot Ranch Porkchops

My friend Jaime pinned these from Pinterest, and my sister and I were both eager to try them out since it was super easy to make and only required 3 ingredients.  I made this so it would be ready for us to eat when we got home from church. 

These are definitely super, super, super easy to make.  I'll be the first to admit, I am not a pork fan.  I usually will only eat pork chops if they are grilled and covered in BBQ sauce.  So I was not only leery about trying these, I was scared!  But, I'm very happy to report that we all enjoyed these so much, there wasn't a single piece left over and Allison was looking for seconds!  These may not be pretty, but they are very moist and you can practically cut it with a fork. 
One thing I didn't like about these is that all of the pieces of pork seemed to fuse together during the cooking process, so when I took it out of the crockpot it was one big piece that I had to pry apart.  (Not a super big deal though). 

Also, I don't think this needs the addition of much water.  The cream of chicken soup and water really thinned out while cooking so the pork was pretty much sitting in soup.  I think it needs just a smidge of water to help combine the creamed soup with the ranch packet....that's it! 

1 lb Pork Chops
1 packet Ranch Seasoning Dry Mix
1 can Cream of Chicken plus 1 can water as needed (This will depend on how fast your crockpot cooks and how long you’ll be cooking it.)

Mix all ingredients together and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  (I used thin cut pork chops so I only let it cook for 4 hours.)

**According to the original website, you can also freeze this .  Just combine all ingredients in a gallon size Ziploc bag and squish around to mix.  When ready to cook, just pull the Ziploc out of the freezer, run the whole bag under hot water in the sink for a minute or two and then just pour it all into the crockpot to get cooking.**

#525: Vegetables and Rice

This is almost too ridiculously easy to be called a "recipe," but I got this recipe off of a coupon printed from the grocery store, so I figured I'd give it a try.  And since it required more than just opening up a can, I figured I'd count this as a recipe.

Obviously eating plain vegetable soup is much better and healthier for you, however, I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of canned soups.  But with the addition of rice, it makes the veggies go down easier.  :)  Would I make this again on a regular basis, probably not.  However if soup is on sale and I'm looking for easy, cheap meals to make for lunch, then I'll definitely make this again and add it to my list of things to make for lunch.  Plus, it's an extra way to get in a serving of veggies. 

1 can vegetable soup (any kind...I used Light Italian Vegetable Style)
1/2 c cooked rice

Warm the soup either in a saucepan or in the microwave.  Drain most of the soup liquid.  Place the cooked rice in a bowl or on a plate.  Pour the soup (basically just the veggies since you drained the liquid out) over the rice and serve. 

#524: Peanut Butter Bars

I made these cookie bars to take with me to book club tomorrow.  Now that I'm on maternity leave, I'm trying not to buy too many unnecessary ingredients at the grocery store to keep our food costs low (as low as I can with food prices anyways!).  And since I had all of the ingredients for this except for the peanut butter, I figured it would be a good one to make. 

I don't know if my fellow book-clubbers will enjoy this, but I love it!  And, I've got the extras that I'm not taking to book club in the freezer and let me tell you, they are just as good frozen as they are refrigerated!  Mmmm! 

My only gripe about these bars is that if the crust isn't totally moist and mixed in, the bottoms tend to break apart/off when you cut them.  MOST of mine were totally fine though! 

2 cups chunky style peanut butter
2 cups powder sugar
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick + 1 Tablespoon melted butter
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

Melt butter and mix with the peanut butter, powdered sugar and crushed graham crackers. 
Spread mixture into 13×9 pan and press down to form the crust.  Make sure it's really pressed down/compacted.

In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips and spread on top of the peanut butter layer.  Refrigerate for exactly 1/2 hour and cut into about 24 pieces/bars. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to enjoy.

#523: Banana Cookies

I have about a dozen over ripe bananas in the freezer that are taking up a lot of space so I decided to make some cookies to use up some of them (rather than just making banana bread).  These were not only really easy to make (I whipped them together while making breakfast for the girls while Matthew was still asleep), but they are super soft and really yummy.  If you like crispy, crunchy cookies, you won't like these.  These are so soft and pillowy...delicious!  Next time I'd add some chopped walnuts or pecans and it would make these even more yummy. 

PS...I ate these for breakfast and just put a little peanut butter on the bottom of each one.  Peanut butter, banana and chocolate...breakfast of champions right??

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup of sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 cup of mashed bananas (I used 3 bananas)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 cups of flour

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg (I omitted...see next ingredient)

1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves (I used 3/4 tsp of all spice instead)

1 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

#522: Eggplant Parmesan Sliders

These weren't exactly sliders, since I couldn't find little rolls (and didn't want to run all over town looking for them!).  So I used medium sized rolls and put several pieces of eggplant inside one of the buns.  DELICIOUS!  These were fantastic.  Allison even enjoyed eating this!  Totally making these again soon.  Mmmm.

2½ lbs. (about 2 medium) eggplants (I used baby eggplants)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 dozen brioche slider rolls

(If using baby eggplants you can skip this step and just peel/slice into rounds).  Slice the eggplants lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices, then use the cookie cutter to cut out two rounds from each of the slices.

Place the eggplant rounds in a colander and toss them with 1½ teaspoons salt. Let them drain in the colander over a bowl in the sink for 45 minutes to remove excess moisture. (Baby eggplants did not drain any liquid so I think you can skip this step too).

Bread the eggplant rounds in batches by coating them in the flour, then the eggs and then the breadcrumbs.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to liberally coat the bottom of the pan. Pan-fry the breaded eggplant rounds in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping them once until both sides are golden brown. Remove the cooked eggplant rounds and immediately transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue the pan-frying process, changing the oil as necessary, until all of the rounds are cooked.

Halve the brioche slider rolls and add 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce to the bottoms of the rolls. Stack an eggplant round atop the sauce, top it with another tablespoon of sauce and a piece of sliced mozzarella. Repeat the assembling process with all of the buns, transferring them to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Turn your broiler to high and carefully slide the cookie sheet under the broiler just long enough until the cheese melts. Immediately cap off the sliders with the tops of the buns and serve.

#521: Pizza Joe Crescents

Yummy!  That's what these should be called.  We all loved these and Brian says they reheated well for his lunch.  Definitely going to make these again.  Definitely.

1/2 lb ground beef, cooked, drained

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

1/3 cup pizza sauce

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

In 10-inch skillet, mix beef, pepperoni and pizza sauce. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. 2 Separate or cut each can of dough into 4 rectangles (if using crescent rolls, press perforations to seal). Spoon meat mixture in center of each rectangle; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. 3 Bake at 375°F 18 to 20 minutes.

#520: Pea, Feta and Bacon Salad

The original recipe called for prosciutto instead of bacon, but I'm really not a prosciutto fan so I used turkey bacon instead and changed the name of the recipe.  :)  Personally, I loved this.  You have to be a fan of feta though...which I am.  I ate this for leftovers for several days, and even ate it for breakfast one day (I figured I was getting in a vegetable, dairy and protein!).  Yum!

2 thin slices prosciutto (2 ounces) (I used turkey bacon)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh peas in the pod, shelled (about 2 cups), or 2 cups frozen peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces Feta, crumbled
2 scallions, thinly

Heat oven to 450° F. Place the prosciutto in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until beginning to darken, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool (the prosciutto will crisp as it cools), then crumble.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes (1 to 2 minutes if frozen). Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.  (Or if making this ahead of time, let the peas thaw in the fridge until defrosted).
In a large bowl, toss the peas with the oil, Feta, scallions, prosciutto, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

#519: BLT Pasta Salad

I made this recipe to take with for Easter/Annie's Birthday Party.  I found this recipe on a blog called a bird and a bean, but it is originally a Food Network Recipe.  It got very mixed reviews, not because of the taste, but because of the nutritional information.  I'm not as concerned with that because I used a lot of low fat products and I don't plan to eat the entire bowl!

Personally I really liked this.  You definitely don't want to add the lettuce until you are ready to eat it though because it gets soggy if it sits too long.  Doesn't make good leftovers because of that, unless you want to pick out/around the lettuce (which I did). 

I would make this again, but I didn't love it.  It was very good though.

12 ounce corkscrew shaped pasta (I used tri-color)

1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

12 ounces lean bacon (I used turkey bacon)

3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I used dried basil instead)

1 clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup mayo (I used light mayo)

1/4 cup sour cream (I used low fat sour cream)

4 tablespoons chopped chives

5 cups chopped romaine hearts

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

(I omitted this step to make it a little healthier, and just added the tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and cooked turkey bacon to the pasta). Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper. Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.  If you are not serving this right away, stop after this step.  Do not add the lettuce until ready to serve or it will get wilty and soft.

Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.