This side dish is a summer smash around my house. My mom discovered this recipe at a church recipe exchange and then made it her own. If you like pasta salad, you'll love this recipe!
A note from Laura, my mom:
Just so you know... my opinion of a salad is that it's a free for all mixture of a variety of items. Measuring is not really necessary and what has been written down is just approximate. After you have assembled and mixed all wanted ingredients, very well, the salad will seem "wet". This is how is should be! If it is not, add more dressing and chicken broth. Before serving, chill for 8 hours (more or less) and you'll see that the pasta will absorb most, if not all, of the "wetness".
Now for the Recipe:
CHICKEN PASTA SALAD
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed/shredded
*Mom cooks the chicken in water and a Tablespoon of garlic salt. Save some broth for the dressing.
2 bags (12 oz. size) of rainbow rotini (twirl) pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 can of black olives
1/2 of a white onion, diced
1/2 of a red onion, diced
1 bunch of green onions, diced
1 cup dill pickles, diced
1 small package of pepperoni slices, diced
1 small package of frozen peas
Combine all the above ingredients and toss well before adding the dressing.
DRESSING:
2 cups of mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons of yellow mustard
3 Tablespoons of ketchup
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon pepper
chicken broth
Combine all the dressing ingredients except the broth. Stir until smooth. Stir in the broth, a bit at a time, until mixture seems "just right" (not too thick). Add the dressing to the salad and stir well. If salad seems too dry add more broth until it appears "wet". When it's done properly the salad will look like you've added too much dressing and may seem gooey. Chill the salad for 8 hours before serving.
