Chicken Pasta Salad: a Back-to-School Lunch Idea

This post is sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.

I hate to admit it, but it's almost time to go back to school. Actually, this will be the first time in years that I'm not going back to a physical school. I finished university several years ago, but I spent the last 3 years working in an after-school daycare. It's going to feel really strange to not step into a school in September...

I know that many other people are going back to school, though, in one capacity or another. My brother is still in university, I've got cousins who are in high school, and a few of my friends are teachers. This post is for everyone who has to start packing a lunch again in September (and for those of you who have to take lunch to work too!).

I love eating chicken pasta salad for lunch. It's a filling, well-balanced meal that doesn't take forever to make. And it actually tastes good cold! Someone once tried to convince me that cold pizza would be a great lunch idea, and I quickly discovered that I disagree with that statement. Pasta salad wins over cold pizza any day.

If you've been following my blog, you might already know that I love to cook with Maple Leaf Prime chicken. I love the way the chicken is packaged, and I know that I'm getting a great quality product. I cooked two chicken breasts specifically for this post, but normally I would just use leftover cooked chicken for this dish.

You might think that the salad in the top two images looks kind of bland, and to be fair, it kind of is. I was a very picky eater when I was younger, and I still prefer a relatively plain (but not tasteless) pasta salad recipe. You can definitely adapt this recipe to suit your tastes though, replacing the veggies I used with ones you prefer. And if you're really adventurous, you could even add some fruit in there. The photo below is my mom's chicken pasta salad of choice, which is really just my plain version with tomatoes, apples, parsley and bell pepper.

By the way, this recipe has cheese and mayonnaise in it, so you will need to pack an ice pack in your lunch bag!

📖 Recipe

Pasta Salad for Picky Eaters

A basic pasta salad recipe that is picky-eater-friendly.

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Created By: Shareba Abdul

PREP TIME: 15 minutes mins

COOK TIME: 10 minutes mins

TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 2 cups rotini pasta
• ▢ ½ cup frozen green peas
• ▢ ½ cup frozen corn
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon of your favourite seasoning blend
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 cooked chicken breasts, roughly chopped into ½ inch pieces
• ▢ ½ cup marbled cheese, cut into cubes
• ▢ 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Vegenaise
• ▢ salt and black pepper, to taste
• ▢ Optional Add-Ins:
• ▢ ½ cup apple, chopped into small pieces
• ▢ 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped into small pieces
• ▢ ¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
• ▢ ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Instructions

 

• Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, defrost the frozen peas and corn in your microwave or on the stove, according to package directions. Drain when cooked.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain and run under cold water (this helps the pasta cool down).
• While the pasta is cooling, add the olive oil and seasoning blend to a small bowl and set aside.
• Put the cooled pasta into a large bowl and add the vegetables (and/or optional add-ins), chopped chicken, cheese and mayonnaise. Add the seasoned oil and stir to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Notes

You can substitute 2 teaspoon of Italian or Greek salad dressing for the seasoning blend and oil.

Please read the blog post to get all of my tips and recommendations for this recipe.

Nutrition Disclaimer: this nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed.

Affiliate Disclosure: Links in this recipe card are affiliate links.

HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a review in the comments below!

To learn more about Maple Leaf Prime chicken, visit MapleLeafPrime.ca.

Disclosure:
This post is sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.
All opinions are my own.