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Health & Fitness

Mandarin Orange Salad with Ham & Cheddar Tart

Spring is finally here! Enjoy the outdoors with brunch on the back deck with family and friends.

Mandarin Orange Salad with Ham & Cheddar Tart

I save all my leftover ham from Easter and freeze it just for occasions like this one. I love spring. Nothing is better than sitting on the back deck enjoying the flowers, the weather and brunch with family. This Mandarin Orange Salad recipe was shared with me years ago at a cook-out. I have loved it ever since and made it many times. It has all kinds of goodies in it and it goes perfect with a simple ham and cheddar tart. I like tarts sometimes better than quiche because they are less filling and use just a few simple ingredients. With the weather being so nice in the 70’s this weekend, enjoy it with an outdoor brunch with family and friends.

Mandarin Orange Salad

½ c sliced almonds

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3 Tablespoons of sugar

½ head of iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped

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½ head of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

3 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup of parsley, chopped

1 (110z) can of mandarin oranges, drained

Dressing

2 Tablespoons of sugar

2 Tablespoons of white vinegar

¼ cup of vegetable oil

½ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

In a large non-stick sauté pan, sauté the almonds with 3 tablespoons of sugar over high heat, stirring constantly until well caramelized and golden brown. Scrape the almonds onto a plate and spread out quickly. Let cool. Break apart into bite size pieces. When the pan has cooled soak in cold water and the remaining sugar in the pan will dissolve.

Add all the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well blended.

In a large bowl add the iceberg, romaine, scallions, parsley, oranges and almonds. Add the salad dressing and toss to coat.

Ham & Cheddar Tart

1 sleeve of pie crust from a box of Pillsbury pie crusts, room temperature

1 ½ cups of diced ham

1 ½ cups of sharp cheddar

3 eggs

1 ¼ cup of half & half

½ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 10 inch two piece tart pan, unfold the piecrust. You will have to stretch it with your hand to make it fit. Keep in mind that it will shrink some in the oven so it can go higher than the rim just a bit. Refrigerate the stretched crusts for 30 minutes until very cold. It must be cold when it goes into the oven or it will shrink too much. Prick the bottom with a fork to keep it from puffing up. If it puffs up in the oven, prick it again. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let it cool completely. Cover the bottom of the tart pan with foil. If your tart leaks, you want to catch it in the foil not on the bottom of your oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the bottom of the tart with the ham then the cheese. Whisk the eggs, half & half, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour over the ham & cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes in the pan before serving. Lift the center of the tart out from the ring and slice.

Serves 6-8

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