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party size pasta & chicken salad

cookinginillinois avatar
Recipe by
Rose Mary Mogan
@cookinginillinois
Sauk Village, IL

I made this party size salad for my neighbor, for a party she was having for her Mom's birthday. This salad could actually be considered a meal in one with the addition of chicken. It is a very versatile salad, and is great when you are serving a crowd. Make it the day before the party to allow all of the flavors to come together. It is a great way to add veggies to your diet. You can even lighten the calories by using light Mayo or Fat Free. Line your serving dish with Blanched salad greens, to bring out all the beautiful colors in the salad. It makes an impressive presentation.

yield 15 -20 or more
prep time 50 Min
cook time 1 Hr 10 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For party size pasta & chicken salad

  • 2 3/4-3 lb
    whole fryer, seasoned & boiled or roasted(bones removed
  • 1 1/2 lb
    elbow macaroni (cooked al dente)
  • 6-8 c
    celery, chopped or as desired
  • 1 1/2 c
    yellow onions, grated or chopped fine
  • 8 c
    mayonnaise or miracle whip (more if desired)
  • 1/2 c
    yellow mustard
  • 1 Tbsp
    kosher salt, more or less according to taste
  • 1 Tbsp
    coarse black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp
    granulated garlic (not garlic salt)
  • 1/4-1/3 c
    chopped dried chive or as desired
  • 3 c
    sweet gherkin pickles, chopped
  • 1 pt
    cherry or grape tomatoes (garnish)
  • 3
    green & red bell pepper strips cut in half
  • 1 Tbsp
    chopped green onion tops (used as garnish)
  • 1/3 c
    chopped green onion tops

How To Make party size pasta & chicken salad

  • 1
    Wash & season fryer or chicken parts as desired and cook till tender. When cool enough to handle, Remove skin, cartlidge and bones, & set aside till needed. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Then rinse under cold water & set aside till needed.
  • 2
    Chop all the veggies you will be using in the salad, and set aside till needed.
  • 3
    Next add the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, chive, salt Pepper & granulated garlic, and whisk or stir with a large spoon until blended together.
  • 4
    Now chop the cooked chicken into small bite size pieces.
  • 5
    Add chicken to the mayonnaise/miracle whip mixture and stir to blend together.
  • 6
    Add in the chopped vegetables and stir again.
  • 7
    Now add in the cooked pasta, and stir till blended. Taste to see if additional spices are needed. Pour into a 9 X13 size casserole dish or pan.
  • 8
    Then Garnish as desired. Chill until ready to serve. Allow at least 4 hours chilling time to allow flavors to marry.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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