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chicken pasta salad

(1 rating)
way2buzy avatar
Recipe by
Michelle Spalding
@way2buzy
Somewhere, IN

I created this recipe after being bored with the same old chicken salad. This is truly a main dish. Serve with Garlic bread or French bread. Makes enough to feed a large family and have left-overs for the next day's lunch.

(1 rating)
yield 8 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 25 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For chicken pasta salad

  • 2 lb
    boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 48 oz
    tri-color pasta
  • 2 can
    garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can
    black olives, drained and rinsed, halved (optional)
  • 1-2 pkg
    cherry tomatoes, rinsed
  • 2 md
    yellow bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 md
    red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 3 sm
    yellow squash, cut in half and sliced
  • 3 sm
    zucchini, cut in half and sliced
  • 3 pkg
    favorite frozen vegetables, like broccoli, asparagus, mixed vegetables, baby corn, etc. (do not thaw)
  • 1 can
    artichoke hearts, canned, drained and quartered
  • 2 bottle
    newman's own caesar dressing
  • 16 oz
    sour cream or plain lowfat yogurt
  • 1 pkg
    feta cheese, crumbled
  • salt and pepper to taste

How To Make chicken pasta salad

  • 1
    Grill or broil chicken until cooked thoroughly. Use cooking tongs to turn the chicken so that you don’t let the juices escape. Remove to platter and let cool to the touch. You can also cook them in a skillet with a little olive oil if you want.
  • 2
    While the chicken is cooking bring a large pot (at least 6 qts) of water to a boil. Cook 48 oz of tri-color pasta in salted water. Drain and empty into large bowl. Don't cool the pasta. (I use my turkey roasting pan to mix this in so that I have plenty of mixing space.)
  • 3
    Slice chicken into strips and then cut into bite sized pieces. Add to the pasta. Do not mix together yet.
  • 4
    Add the bags of uncooked Frozen vegetables to the pasta and chicken, Mix them together. As you toss together this will cool the pasta and chicken to a nice cold salad; the heat from the pasta cooks the frozen vegetables enough to make them perfect for a fresh salad.
  • 5
    Add all of the fresh vegetables, the garbanzo beans and the black olives, tomatoes and quartered artichoke hearts to your pasta and chicken.
  • 6
    In a medium mixing bowl combine the Caesar dressing and the sour cream or yogurt and whisk together to combine. Pour over the salad and mix together. Top with crumbled Feta Cheese, give a quick toss and serve.
  • 7
    Serve with toasted garlic bread or warm French or Italian bread.
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