Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
A delicious and creamy pasta salad featuring tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and classic Caesar flavors, perfect for a quick lunch or potluck.
Ingredients
Protein
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts seasoned and cooked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking chicken
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder seasoning
- 2 teaspoons paprika seasoning
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper seasoning
- 0.25 teaspoon salt seasoning
Pasta
- 1 lb pasta (rotini, penne, or farfalle)
Dressing and cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 0.25 cup Caesar salad dressing good quality bottled or homemade
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 0.5 cup milk or cream to thin the dressing if needed
Vegetables
- 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
- 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 0.25 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 0.5 cup croutons
Instructions
- Season and cook the chicken breasts in olive oil with garlic, onion, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cook pasta until al dente, then drain and let cool.
- Mix mayonnaise, Parmesan, Caesar dressing, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk to make the dressing.
- Combine cooked chicken, pasta, vegetables, and dressing; toss to coat.
- Top with croutons and serve chilled.
Notes
For extra flavor, marinate the chicken with additional seasonings before cooking.