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Hawaiian Pasta Salad and Sweet Tea Peach Popsicles are perfect additions for your summer backyard BBQ.
Grilling season is finally here and I am so excited. There are so many things to love — the smell of the charcoal fire, the taste of delicious food cooked on an open flame and, of course, having our friends over to hang out. But what I really love about grilling season is that Jay usually takes over the cooking! Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook but sometimes mama needs a break. However, we do have a deal that if he handles the grilling then I will handle the sides and desserts so when we have a crowd over, I like to try and keep it simple. A couple of my favorite things to make are a Hawaiian pasta salad and sweet tea peach popsicles. These seemingly fancy versions of cookout classics make it appear like I spent all day in the kitchen, when in reality I put them together the night before while I zoned out to some mindless television.
Since I am a sweets girl, let’s start with the dessert first! I am from the south and I think y’all know that sweet tea is a part of life down here. It can be tough to get the perfect sweetness every time so we keep Gold Peak Sweet Tea on hand. Plus, if we have unexpected guests drop in, it’s so much easier to offer a glass of this refreshing summer drink if it’s already made and in the fridge. Just add to a glass of ice and it’s the perfect drink to sip while I watch Jay grill 🙂 It is also the perfect ingredient for these sweet tea peach popsicles!
For these quick, three ingredient popsicles all you need is:
- 1 cup Gold Peak Sweet Tea
- 16 oz bag of frozen peaches
- 1/4 cup of sugar
Mix everything together in a blender the night before, pour in popsicle molds
**Quick Tip** To make it easier to remove the popsicles from the mold, fill the kitchen sink with warm water. Place the popsicle mold in the water for a few seconds and then wiggle the popsicle free.
Next up, this simple twist on a traditional pasta salad will have party goers wondering why they didn’t bring their grass skirts. Every summer Jay sets up tiki torches in our back yard and the ambiance takes me back to a Hawaiian luau we attended waaaay back before we had kids. To help my tastebuds get in on the memory, I make this pasta salad which makes a wonderful side dish to any BBQ meal. The leftovers are great for lunch the next day…that is if you have any leftovers.
To make this pasta salad start with Barilla Ditalini Pasta. Barilla cooks up perfectly al dente every time so I know it will hold the dressing without getting mushy. After the pasta is cooked and drained, place it in a large bowl and add pineapple tidbits, ham, green onions, carrots, and macadamia nuts. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, cider vinegar, sugar and pineapple juice. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and stir until coated. You can store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Hawaiian pasta salad and Sweet Tea Peach Popsicles
Ingredients
- 1 lb Barilla Ditalini pasta cooked according to box
- 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 8oz can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve the juice)
- 1 1/2 cup cubed cooked ham
- 1/2 cup green onion
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, macadamia nuts, carrots, pineapple, ham and green onion.
- In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, pineapple juice, sugar, and black pepper.
- Pour over pasta, stir to coat all of the pasta mixture. Serve or store in refrigerator.
For my BBQ centerpiece, I removed the label from the Gold Peak Tea 6 pack bottles, hot glued a ribbon around the bottle and used them as a vase. Drink, dessert, and a centerpiece all in one bottle!
For more delicious summer recipes please check HERE and for $1 off when you buy any two (2) 64 fl oz bottles of Gold Peak Tea click on Coupons.com.
I found all of my BBQ party supplies at my local Walmart. The Gold Peak Tea is located on the tea and water aisle, and the Barilla pasta is on the pasta aisle.
Karly says
June 27, 2016 at 3:15 pmOMG, how have I never thought to try a Hawaiian pasta salad!? This is genius, pure genius, I tell ya. This stuff looks amazing!!
heather says
June 28, 2016 at 4:33 pmThanks Karly! Hope you have a great 4th of July weekend!