Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

The best pasta salad recipe must have a delicious dressing and this chicken Caesar pasta salad has exactly that. Juicy chicken breast, crunchy croutons and crisp romaine lettuce are tossed together with spiraled pasta and sharp parmesan cheese making one of my daughter’s favorite pasta salad recipes ever.

Ingredients for Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe

I always like to see a quick overview of the ingredients I’m going to need for a recipe so here is everything you’re going to need:

Salad

• Chicken Breasts: You will cook these ahead of time and chop into bite-sized pieces.
  • SUBSTITUTION: If you want to skip cooking chicken, you could use a rotisserie chicken.
• Salt: used to season the water that you boil the pasta in
• Cavatappi Pasta: Rotini also works great. You want a hearty pasta with lots of nooks and crannies to catch all that yummy dressing!
• Caesar Croutons: Any store bought brand will work great.
• Romaine Lettuce: Rinse and dry it before chopping it up.
• Parmesan Cheese: Grab a block of parmesan that you can shave yourself!

Dressing

• Mayonnaise: acts as the base for the creamy dressing
• Plain Greek Yogurt: lightens up the dressing a little and adds good protein
• Lemon Juice: adds acidity and brightness
• Champagne Vinegar: If you can’t find champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar will work too.
• Dijon Mustard: adds flavor
• Worcestershire Sauce: adds flavor
• Garlic: You’ll grate it with a microplane or use a garlic press to get it really fine.
• Parmesan Cheese: You want the powdery kind from the can for the dressing. It gives the dressing that signature Caesar flavor.
• Salt and Black Pepper: adds flavor

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

I know, you’re probably thinking that you’ll just buy a Caesar salad kit from the store and just add pasta and call it good, but I swear to you, this homemade salad dressing will be such a game changer! If you have the time, make this chicken Caesar salad with pasta from scratch. It’s really so simple! Here are the steps:

1. Cook the Pasta: Get a large pot of salted water boiling over medium-high heat and add the pasta once the water is boiling.
2. Cook the Chicken: While you are waiting for the water to boil and for the pasta to cook, get the chicken cooking. You can gril

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s a drizzly warm weekend here in Ohio, and I am happily here for it. My weekend plan is to be on the couch with a stack of books or out for a walk, as long as the weather cooperates.

If you are on TikTok, (full disclosure, I am just not that cool) my brother (Hi, Miles!) has an account that I love. (And yes, I can see it using my computer – again, I’m just not TikTok cool.) 

Anyways, if you’re into homesteading, DIY projects, schoolie life, or just enjoy watching someone else getting things done (yes, that’s me!), it’s a lot of fun to watch. You can check it out here: https://www.tiktok.com/@miles_3m 

IN THE KITCHEN THIS WEEK: Calling all shrimp lovers! These flavorful and satisfying Shrimp Quesadillas with bright bell peppers are fast enough for busy schedules and special enough for company. As a matter of fact, I liked them so much, I made them two days in a row for my lunches last week.

I just put this Noodle Stir Fry with Chicken and Cabbage back on my meal plan. I would be thrilled to eat this weekly. I seriously love it.

Need a super easy brunch that will impress a crowd? Elegant and easy to make, Puff Pastry Danishes are flaky, crispy-edged breakfast pastries that you can customize for everyone at your table. This easy danish recipe comes together almost too quickly to be believed.

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Almond-flavored ice cream swirled with buttery toasted almonds? Yes, please! Each bite of Almond Ice Cream is an irresistible combination of creamy smooth ice cream and those crunchy buttered almonds. 

My FAVORITE THING this week is this ice cream scoop. Several years ago, I ordered and tested every unique ice cream scoop I could find online or in stores. With over 150 ice cream recipes, I

10 Minute One Skillet Creamed Mexican Street Corn

This one-skillet creamed Mexican street corn is a flavor-packed, crave-worthy dish that brings the vibrant tastes of Mexico straight to your table! Sweet, tender corn is cooked in a creamy, rich sauce made with Mexican crema then topped with crumbled cotija cheese and a sprinkle of chili powder.

Every bite is a perfect blend of smoky, tangy, and savory flavors. The best part? It’s made in just one pan, so clean-up is a breeze. This dish is perfect as a side for your next taco night or anytime you want to enjoy a deliciously creamy and satisfying veggie dish!

We are obsessed with all things Mexican street corn (or elote) over here! From our classic Mexican street corn on the cob to the our Mexican street corn salad, if you’re craving elote, we’ve got a recipe for you!

What is Mexican Street Corn?

Mexican street corn, also called elote, is traditionally grilled corn on the cob that is lathered in a mayonnaise and then coated in cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro and fresh lime juice. Authentic elote is pretty much the taste of heaven! We are using it as inspiration for this creamed corn version!

Ingredients for Creamed Mexican Street Corn

We make this Mexican elote creamed corn side dish so often that I keep all the ingredients in stock at all times and you only need 6 ingredients to make it. Here is your grocery list:

• Butter: use either salted or unsalted butter keeping in mind that the cotija is a salty cheese
• Frozen Corn: Any brand works great and using frozen corn makes this a dish you can eat all year long.
• Mexican Crema: similar to sour cream but thinner
  • SUBSTITUTION: If you can’t find Mexican crema near you, use this substitute instead: 3 tablespoons sour cream + 5 tablespoons mayonnaise. Last resort, use heavy cream.
• Chili Powder: adds flavor, a little heat and some pretty color
• Cotija Cheese: usually found in the Latino food area of the refrigerated section
• Fresh Cilantro: chopped nice and small

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down at the end of the post.

Can I Use Fresh Corn on the Cob?

I’ll never say no to fresh corn on the cob! If you can get your hands on some good fresh corn, then definitely do it! This makes such a delicious summer side dish. You’ll want to cook it really well before adding the crema to it. Make sure you get a good char on it!

Almond-flavored ice cream swirled with buttery toasted almonds? Yes, please! Each bite is an irresistible combination of creamy smooth ice cream and those crunchy buttered almonds.

Almond Ice Cream

Oh, how I love almonds and almond-flavored treats! See proof of that with the long list of awesome almond recipes I’m sharing throughout this post – I simply couldn’t choose favorites.

For the next batch of ice cream, you’ll want to try Dark Chocolate Almond Ice Cream flavored with just the tiniest hint of cinnamon. The almond flavor is unexpected, and it is fantastic with the chocolate.

Creamy chocolate ice cream with a marshmallow swirl, crunchy almonds, and chocolate chips add up to a homemade Heavenly Hash Ice Cream that everyone enjoys.

Want more chunks of marshmallow in each scoop? Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream takes a batch of creamy chocolate and almond-flavored ice cream and loads it up with chewy marshmallows and crunchy almonds.

Toasted Almond Ice Cream

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• heavy cream
• milk
• sugar
• kosher salt
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• sliced almonds
• butter

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

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Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe [+Video]

Savor the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas! Tender shredded chicken wrapped in soft flour tortillas, smothered in a creamy sauce made completely from scratch, and baked to golden perfection. The ultimate comfort food, ready in no time!

I grew up not loving my mom’s enchiladas. I’m sorry mom. I think I’d love them nowadays, but because she uses a condensed soup which I pretty much never have, I’ve come up with an adapted version that uses sour cream and a roux instead of the condensed soup. Though, if you all want the old version let me know in the comments! I don’t even use an enchilada sauce in this recipe and you won’t even miss it!

Ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas from Scratch

We are essentially making cream of chicken soup from scratch, which may seem like extra work, but I love knowing everything going into my dinner! Using rotisserie chicken will save us some time, and everything else is so easy to get your hands on. Here is everything you’ll need:

• Butter: combines with the flour to create the roux for the creamy white sauce
• All-Purpose Flour: Helps thicken the white sauce.
• Chicken Broth: adds chicken flavor
• Sour Cream: makes the white sauce extra rich and creamy
• Diced Green Chiles: adds flavor
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Rotisserie Chicken: Break down a whole chicken yourself or buy the prepackaged rotisserie chicken breast meat that is sold at Costco.
• Monterey Jack Cheese: I recommend buying a block and grating it yourself.
• Mexican Cheese Blend: found with all the other cheeses in the cheese section
• Taco Seasoning: I like to make my own big batch and keep it on hand for when it’s needed, but a store-bought brand works fine too.
• Flour Tortillas: Grab your favorite store-bought brand or make them yourself. If you go with store-bought, I recommend the uncooked tortillas that you cook yourself.

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

Read through the following instructions to learn how to make this easy