Chicken Pasta Salad

Kids Recipe Challenge winning recipe – 3rd place!

Category: School day lunch, grades 1-3

Abbey, in Toronto, likes how tasty and colourful this salad is. She helps to grate the carrots, dice the cucumbers while mom boils the pasta and slices the chicken. She then tosses everything together!

When kids don’t like sandwiches, salads are a great option. This easy to make salad can be changed up with your favourite vegetables and pasta shapes to suit everyone’s tastes.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Makes: 4 cups (1 L)

Tips

To get 875 mL (3 1/2 cups) of cooked pasta, you will need 500 mL (2 cups) dried pasta.
Use your favourite shape like elbows, shells, radiatore or orrechiette pasta.
Try different vegetables like peppers, celery, broccoli or cauliflower in the salad.
For a vegetarian option use diced firm tofu instead of the chicken.
Put leftovers away within 2 hours or sooner if they are in a warm location.

Ingredients
Cucumber	1 cup (250 ml), about 2/3 of a cucumber
Carrot	1 large
Short whole wheat pasta, cooked, cooled	3 1/2 cups (875 mL)
Chicken, cooked and diced	1 1/2 cups (375 mL)
Low fat Caesar salad dressing	1/4 cup (50 mL)

Directions

Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Clean all countertops and equipment used for food preparation.
Gently rinse cucumber and scrub carrot with a clean vegetable brush under cool running water. Chop cucumber and coarsely grate carrot.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, cucumber and carrot .
Drizzle with dressing and stir well to combine.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days.