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Recipes from Amy Hanten, The Cooking Mom

Layered Fiesta Salad

Ingredients:
2 cans (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cans (7 ounces) diced green chiles
2 cups corn
6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups seeded and diced tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1 can (6 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1 1/2 cups prepared guacamole
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:
In a trifle dish or large glass salad bowl layer, black beans, green chiles, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, olives, and scallions. Save a few tomatoes and scallions to decorate the top. In another bowl mix together the guacamole, sour cream and garlic powder. Carefully spread over the top of the salad. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can also serve with a couple cups of crushed tortilla chips on top or serve the chips on the side.

Banana Cream Trifle

Ingredients:
2 boxes (3.4 ounces) instant banana cream pudding
3 cups cold milk
1 container (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 box (12 ounces) vanilla wafers
5 bananas

Directions:
In a bowl beat together pudding mix with milk until it starts to thicken. Fold all but about one-third of the whipped topping into the pudding. Put one-third of the cookies on the bottom of a trifle dish or clear glass bowl. Slice 4 of the bananas. Sprinkle some of the bananas on top of the cookies. Next, carefully spread one-third of the pudding on top of the bananas. Repeat layers, saving a few extra cookies and ending with the pudding mixture on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to soften cookies. Just before serving, uncover and top with a “cloud” of the remaining whipped topping. Slice the remaining banana. Decorate the top with extra wafers and banana slices.

Notes: 
You can also layer this dessert in mini trifle dishes or clean glass canning desserts. That way everyone has their own dessert. Too cool!