Delicious Reunions: A Chicken Pasta Salad for the Whole Family

By D. Kubovy

The holiday season will be upon us before you know it. Which means food, fun, and family will be the order of the day. Whether you're hosting the clan in your own home, or want to pitch in at a relative's gathering, we've got a recipe that's perfect for large groups of adults and kids.

Our Family Reunion Pasta Salad includes pasta, veggies, and chicken -- a healthy combination with something for everyone. It makes a great appetizer or side dish for a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holiday get-together. And the leftovers are guaranteed to taste great, too!

Of course, you don't have to make this dish for a big group. "I prepared the salad just for our family," said one of our panel moms. Another noted, "it makes a great side dish and a great option to mix up your lunch items." But adjust the recipe size accordingly: "The recipe makes over a pound of pasta salad," noted a New York parent, "so be sure you have enough folks to eat it!"

Family Reunion Pasta Salad

What You Need

• Salad
  • 2 pkgs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 bag (1 lb.) frozen bean and carrot mixture (baby carrots, green and yellow beans)
  • 2 cups frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 package (8 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
• Dressing
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

What to Do

• Wash hands
• Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks.
• Salt and pepper lightly, if desired.
• In medium bowl, blend dressing ingredients.
• In Dutch oven, cook pasta according to package directions, adding frozen vegetables after 8 minutes. Return to a boil.
• Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
• Rinse in cold water to cool; drain.
• Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken.
• Cook and stir 7 to 9 minutes or until chicken is browned and no longer pink in center.
• Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. Internal temperature should read 170°F when done.
• In very large bowl, combine pasta, vegetables, chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes; mix well.
• Add dressing to salad; toss to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate thoroughly before serving.

Our families found the recipe easy enough to make, and even tried their hands at some adaptations. The McGarrigal family "skipped the mushrooms, since the kids don't like them, and used a frozen veggie mix that included peas, corn, beans and carrots to add more color." Another family decided against frozen vegetables, however ("too watery," they thought), and replaced them with "fresh veggies, lightly steamed and cooled."

A mom recommended replacing diced tomatoes with cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, and advised, "grape tomatoes would also be good, too." The pasta can be substituted as well: The King family "used rotini spiral pasta instead of penne, because the kids thought it was more fun."

Other families suggest spicing up the recipe a bit with more seasoning: "I would definitely add garlic or other spices for more zing in future," one Dad remarked. "I thought it was a little bland." Speaking of which, the homemade dressing can be substituted with your family's favorite bottled salad dressing, as many families chose to do. "I used a pre-prepared light balsamic vingarette dressing instead of making my own," said Shannon, a mother of two. "I also added about 1 1/2 cups instead of just 3/4 cup for more flavor." The Hipp family used "Italian dressing prepared with red wine vinegar and a dash of cayenne pepper for zip!"

Because this dish is served chilled (and therefore doesn't need to be reheated), it's easy to take on the road. Shannon, one of our panel moms, "prepared the salad for a long weekend away with friends and family," and just brought the dish along in the car.

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