Pasta Caesar Salad

What can you bring to that BBQ this weekend? What can you quickly serve your family on a hot summer evening?

Well, there is almost nothing easier than Caesar salad.  With all the bottled dressings on the market today and the “lettuce in a bag”, Caesar salad couldn’t be easier. But let me give you a way to make a Caesar salad “heartier” and different than your run-of-the-mill Caesar salad.  I got this recipe from my friend Dawn, who brings this to BBQs and serves it to her family. She does this while driving around to kindergarten, 2^nd grade events, softball games and vet visits.

Dawn’s trick is to add ziti and shaved parmesan to her Caesar salad. The big slivers of parmesan are probably my favorite part and it makes the salad so yummy. I also add tomatoes, cucumbers and sliced mushrooms to give the salad a “little more” and make it heartier.
To make this a meal, serve it with grilled chicken, either on the side or on top. I don’t like to just grill plain, un-marinated chicken, so thanks to my friend Katie McGi, I have discovered Montreal Chicken by McCormick. Because of this bottled spice, very little thought and effort are needed to make plain, grilled chicken delicious.

Dawn’s Caesar Salad

Ingredients

1 bag of romaine lettuce or hearts of romaine lettuce. My sister-in-law Rose convinced me that the hearts of romaine are crunchier and worth the effort of the washing they require. I bought a salad spinner and haven’t gone back to the bags, but you decide.

1 Bottle of Caesar Salad dressing – I like Ken’s Creamy Caesar the best, even the “light” is good, but I also use Cardini’s Caesar Dressing.  Get whatever is on sale, you’ll be happy with either.

Croutons –buy the Caesar because there is a variety in the breads used.

Block of Parmesan Cheese – use a vegetable peeler to shave the parmesan on the salad. The bigger the pieces the better, the more the better!

6 oz.  cooked Ziti

Tomatoes –chopped

Fresh Mushrooms – sliced

Cucumbers – sliced

Chicken breast – boneless and skinless

McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken

Cook the pasta according tothe directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, then drain well. Add a little dressing to the ziti to keep it from sticking together and then add all the other ingredients except the chicken. Don’t be shy on the parmesan!

To cook the chicken, prepare your grill. Generously sprinkle the chicken with the seasonings and grill for about 6-8 minutes per side. The chicken is done with it is firm to the touch and when you cut into it, there is no pink. 

Try not to overcook. If you are using a gas grill, cook on medium, if
you are using charcoal, try not to cook the chicken in the flame but in the heat and don’t let it burn. Over cooked and dried out chicken is a bummer!