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No-Bake Entree Recipes, Part 1

Sometimes you just don’t want a hot meal; like lunchtime, summertime, and lazytime. Give your microwave the afternoon off with some easy, throw-together meals that don’t require a kitchen appliance.

One of my all-time favorite warm-weather recipes is the Cool Bean Salad. I’ve even made a big batch and taken it to a summer picnic potluck. Let’s just say I brought home an empty dish. It was devoured!
 

Cool Bean Salad
1 HMR Five-Bean Casserole Entree
½ a ripe avocado, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in halves

Dressing:
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Splenda®
Dash of Italian herbs
Garlic salt to taste
1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill. Top with 1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream (optional) and enjoy over a green salad!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.
 


Another easy, breezy, warm-weather favorite is HMR’s version of a Taco Salad. Lay down a bed of lettuce, your favorite veggies (such as diced tomatoes, green bell peppers, corn, and black beans), top with salsa and an HMR Turkey Chili with Beans Entree. Add a squirt of lime juice and garnish with cilantro, avocado, and/or non-fat sour cream. There is enough flavor in the ingredients that there’s no need for dressing.

Mexican Salad
Here’s another winner: Cold Veggie Pasta Salad. Picture a hot, humid summer day. The last thing you want is a hot meal, right? You don’t have to, you have options!!

Cold Veggie Pasta Salad
1 HMR Pasta Fagioli Entree
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Mix Pasta Fagioli (at room temp) with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.


This just goes to show you how versatile these entrees are! I’m just getting started! Check back soon for No-Bake Entree Recipes, Part 2. What are some of your favorite no-bake entree recipes?
 

by SandiBraithwaite on 08/22/2011 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, Recipes, Diet Tools, motivation, in the box, planning, mood, strategies

About the Author

Sandi Braithwaite

Sandi Braithwaite, from our Consumer Relations Department, has been a member of the HMR team since 2002. She has her hands in several areas of the company, from marketing to being a weight loss coach. When Sandi’s not working, she’s teaching dance & exercise classes & cooking up new recipes.

Comments (1) Post a comment
I love the Cold Veggie Pasta Salad anytime of the year. I prepare it in the am while I am getting kids lunches together and its ready to grab and eat at lunch time. I have not tired the Cool Bean Salad but I am going to add it to my list for this week! : )
by KimG on 09/22/2011