Just like clockwork every year, it happens. The temperature soars into three digits or at least it feels like the number is 3 digits and everyone begins counting the days until cooler weather. Dinner still needs to be prepared and this time of year, the easier the better. No one wants to heat up the oven and in turn heat up the kitchen.
This main dish salad is perfect for these hot summer days and the leftover make great lunches for work the next day.When you are grilling chicken always grill a few extra so that another recipe can be tossed together later in the week. Too hot to grill? No worries, you can easily use rotisserie chicken.
Give this recipe a try. It did receive the family thumbs up as a winner. How do I know? Anytime our teenager says, “mom, will you make this again, please?”, I know we have a winner. Stay cool and enjoy the lazy days of summer!
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
1 (16 oz.) package rotini
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large head Romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
3 green onions, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled or cooked and cut into cubes
¾ cup light mayonnaise
½ cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon Gourmet Garden garlic paste or 1 large clove garlic, minced
2 canned anchovies, drained and finely chopped or ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup shredded parmesan or parmesan shavings
½ cup croutons for garnish
Cook rotini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
Place tomatoes, lettuce, green onions and chicken in a large salad bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic paste, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Add drained rotini to salad bowl and toss gently. Add parmesan and dressing and toss gently to coat. Garnish with croutons Serve immediately.
Makes 6 main dish servings
Tip: My family prefers this salad refrigerated and served cold.
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