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California Club Pasta Salad

May 31, 2010 By Kate 8 Comments

Making a pasta salad on a hot day is one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table during the summer. While I could eat a pasta salad every single night, I don’t think the rest of my family would agree. So we tend to have one about once or twice a week, at most.

Aside from the taste of a pasta salad, I love how stolen moments friendly and summertime-convenient it is. I can through a pasta salad together while the kids eat breakfast and let it hang out in the fridge all day. Plus, it’s so easy to make a big batch, insuring that we have leftovers for at least one lunch.

Since I know pasta salad is a well-loved (in moderation) favorite with all of us, I like to experiment with it to keep things interesting.  There are so many different inspirations I look to when coming up with new pasta salads for us to enjoy. Sandwiches seem to be a sure hit, such as with this California Club Pasta Salad. It has all the elements and taste of a California Club sandwich.

California Club Pasta Salad

  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1 t. Italian seasoning
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1/2 lb. turkey breast cutlets, fully cooked, cubed and cooled
  • 1/2 lb. grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 lb. pasta, cooked, rinsed in cold water and drained
  • 1/2 lb. bacon, diced and cooked, cooled
  • 1 avocado, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 – 1 c. sprouts, rinsed
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in cooled turkey breast and sliced tomatoes. Add rinsed pasta, toss to combine and refrigerate.

2. Just before serving, add the bacon, avocado and sprouts. Toss to combine. Season again with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

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Very Veggie Pasta Salad

July 26, 2009 By Kate 2 Comments

I’m sure my affinity for pasta salads has been made quite clear the past few weeks. There is just nothing better on a hot summer night than a refreshing pasta salad, at least as far as I’m concerned.

This pasta salad was used as a side dish for our family, but it could easily be made into a full meal with the addition of some beans or cooked chicken. The secret to this salad is to let the veggies marinate in the dressing over night. They soften just a little bit while they marinate and absorb tons of flavor.

veggiepastasalad

Very Veggie Pasta Salad

  • 1/2 lb. cucumber, peeled
  • 1/2 lb. grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 lb. carrots, peeled
  • 1/4 lb. cauliflower
  • 1 large green pepper
  • 1 bottle Italian salad dressing
  • 1 T. Italian seasoning
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1 lb. tri-color rotini, cooked, drained and chilled

1. Cut cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and slice. Cut tomatoes in half. Cut carrots in half lengthwise and slice. Cut cauliflower into tiny florets. Dice green pepper. Place all veggies into a large plastic or glass bowl. (Do not use a metal bowl.)

2. Pour entire bottle of salad dressing over veggies. Add seasonings and stir to combine. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

3. Add chilled, cooked pasta to veggies and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

FYI: I have added a sample weekly menu plan to the Stolen Moments Menu Planning site. You can check it out here.

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Ranch Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad

June 10, 2009 By Kate 20 Comments

Every summer, I am all about cold pasta salads for dinner. I serve one at least once a week while it was warm out. There are so many reasons why I love cold pasta salads – they are so versatile, they are super stolen moments friendly and my whole family loves them!

I tend to rotate my cold pasta salad dinners between meat-free options and chicken based salads, plus I throw in a taco salad here and there for good measure. I’ve found that once I get a basic sauce down and get the thumbs up from my family, it becomes super easy to take that sauce and mix it up, creating many new meals and tastes from the same basic sauce.

This recipe is one of those. I tend to use the sauce and meat combination together all the time, but I mix up the veggies and other add-ins. And we’ve yet to eat one meal from those basics that we haven’t all loved.

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Ranch Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad

  • 1 c. mayonnaise (lowfat or fat-free work just fine for this)
  • 1 c. Ranch salad dressing
  • 2 c. veggies of choice (I used peas this time. Tomatoes, peppers, olives, green onions and cucumbers, or any combination thereof, are also great options.)
  • 1/2 lb. shredded or diced fully cooked chicken
  • 1/2 lb. diced and cooked bacon
  • 1 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked and rinsed with cold water
  • 1 c. shredded cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and Ranch dressing. Add the veggies, chicken and bacon. Stir to combine.

2. Add the chilled pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

It’s really as simple as that. The mayo/ranch combo mixed with the chicken and bacon is a surefire winner no matter what else you put with it. Experiment and have fun!

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