Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a family favorite! filled with juicy chicken & bacon – topped with a sensational dressing!

If you enjoy chicken Caesar salad, try this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe that is sure to leave you impressed. Prepare the salad with chicken, lettuce, pasta, and a homemade dressing that is incredibly tasty.

What Is Pasta Salad?

Pasta salad is a cold dish commonly served as a side dish with other foods. It contains pasta, dressing, and several other ingredients. The Caesar Pasta Salad is similar to a chicken caesar salad, but it also contains pasta and a homemade dressing. The ingredients get mixed to create a flavorful dish that you can serve at family functions and various special events, such as baby showers and anniversaries.

What You’ll Need to Make the Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe

Make the Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad with these important ingredients:

• Chicken Breasts. Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You will need to cook them before combining them with other ingredients.

• Garlic Powder. Sprinkle the garlic powder over your chicken breasts to add flavor to them.

• Salt and Pepper. Use salt and pepper to taste on your chicken to give them even more flavor.

• Pasta. Get any brand of penne pasta for this recipe. You will need to boil the pasta before draining it and combining it with other ingredients.

• Romaine Lettuce. Chop the romaine lettuce into small pieces.

• Parmesan Cheese. The parmesan cheese adds the perfect touch to the salad.

You will also need garlic herb croutons, cooked hickory smoked bacon crumbles, and lemon wedges for the salad. When preparing the dressing that you will pour over your pasta and chicken, you will need to combine mayo and Greek yogurt with garlic, dijon mustard, parmesan cheese, and a few other ingredients.

How Do You Store the Caesar Pasta Salad?

Pour the Caesar Pasta Salad into a large plastic food container with an airtight lid attached to it. Once you put the lid on the pasta salad, place it in the refrigerator. It is important to keep it cool in the fridge because if you do not, the salad will quickly go bad. If you store the salad in the fridge, it should stay good for up to four days before you would need to eat it or make a fresh batch.

Can I Freeze It?

Yes, you can freeze the Caesar Pasta Salad. If you are going to freeze it, be sure to put it in the proper food container. Leave it in the freezer for a maximum of three months. You can defrost the pasta salad in your refrigerator the night before serving it. Because you can freeze it, feel free to make this salad in advance before an important gathering.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs?

It is best to use chicken breasts for the Caesar Pasta Salad with Chicken. However, if you do not have it, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can also use canned chicken if you would like to make the process of preparing this salad even easier. Make sure to season the chicken the same way that you would season your chicken breasts. If you have rotisserie chicken leftovers, feel free to season them and use them in this salad recipe.

Which Type of Pasta is Best to Use?

The Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe calls for penne pasta. The penne pasta holds up well with the dressing, chicken, and all the other ingredients used to make this salad. However, if you do not have penne pasta, you can always use small or medium shells or macaroni pasta as a substitute. Your salad will still have the same great taste, regardless of which type of pasta you choose to use.

What to Serve With the Caesar Pasta Salad

You can eat the Caesar Pasta Salad on its own for lunch or dinner. However, it is also a great side dish to serve with various entrees, such as baked chicken, broiled pork chops, or a sandwich. Save on the carbs – remove the pasta! 

Can I Use Bacon Bits Instead of Smoked Bacon?

If you do not feel like preparing fresh bacon and crumbling it into pieces to put into this salad, you can buy bacon bits and use them. The bacon bits will add a smoky flavor to the pasta that goes great with the other ingredients, especially the chicken and the parmesan cheese.

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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

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Ingredients

  

Chicken:

• ▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ▢ garlic powder to taste
• ▢ salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Pasta Salad:

• ▢ 12 oz. 3/4 of 16oz. box dry penne pasta
• ▢ 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• ▢ 1 cup garlic herb croutons
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• ▢ 6 slices crispy cooked Hickory smoked bacon crumbled
• ▢ lemon wedges

Dressing:

• ▢ 1 cup mayo
• ▢ 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• ▢ 2 tsp. minced garlic
• ▢ 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until completely blended.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Oil and season chicken breast and grill over medium heat until fully cooked, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Rest until cooled.
• Cook paste according to packages' al dente instructions. Strain and run under cold water.
• Drain well.
• Add pasta, chicken, lettuce, croutons, cheese, and crumbled bacon to a large bowl and toss.
• Add desired amount of dressing and toss until combined and coated.
• Serve immediately.
• ENJOY!

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