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Pasta, salad and a creamy dressing all in one bowl. This knock-off on Cheddars’ Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is around 250 calories.
One of my favorite salads is Cheddars’ Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad. My sister introduced me to it a year ago. It’s made with crisp romaine lettuce and penne pasta noodles.
I had never combined pasta and lettuce before, but it’s surprisingly good. And the penne pasta is great with salad dressing because the dressing slips into the noodles.
At Cheddars, the salad comes with grilled chicken, but I always request blackened chicken because I like the heat ~ and face it ~ it’s more Zestuous that way.
What I don’t like about the salad is the unknown amount of calories it has in it. Livestrong claims it might have as many as 1,200 calories, but no one really knows because Cheddars hasn’t released their nutrition info yet (but they are working on it.)
In the meantime, it’s super easy to make this at home, and it’s a sneaky way to get veggies in. And by using my 25-Cal Caesar Dressing, you can have a large satisfying bowlful for about 250 calories.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 cups dry penne pasta
- 2 chicken breasts
- blackened seasoning
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup 25-Cal Caesar Dressing
Instructions
- Season chicken on both sides with blackened seasoning
- Grill over medium heat for 12-15 minutes. Chop.
- Cook the pasta until al dente.
- Combine all ingredients.
- Toss well.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fantastic salad, had it more than once and has always been FRESH!!
Thanks John!