Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

With just a few ingredients and a super simple method, you can make the yummiest Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad as an easy meal to share with the kids. It works well packed as kids lunch, too!

This post is sponsored by Yumbox.

I often talk about how Caesar salad has been the gateway salad for my kids—or the type of salad that helped them to realize that they actually, in fact, enjoy salad! And by adding pasta and chicken to the mix, we can easily turn it into a kid-friendly meal that works for dinner or lunch.

This meal is super versatile, too. You can make it with my homemade Caesar dressing and Italian Chicken Cutlets or Baked Chicken Tenders. Or you can use store-bought dressing and rotisserie chicken. You can mix it all together or serve it deconstructed with the dressing as a dip if the kids prefer it that way.

I love packing the ingredients for this easy pasta salad up into Yumbox lunch boxes as nutritious lunches for my two elementary age kids. It holds up well in the leak-proof lunchbox, which are also super easy for my kindergartener to open on his own—which is key in a little kids lunchbox! They make a few styles, so you can pick the design that works best with the types of foods you usually send for your kids lunches.

Find the full range of Yumbox options, including insulated lunch bags and snack bags, too.

(You may also like Protein Lunch Ideas, Pesto Pasta Salad, Healthy Pasta Salad with Chicken, and Farro Salad.)

Ingredients You Need

Here’s a look at how to make this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad so you know what to have on hand or pick up from the store.

• Pasta: You can use any type of cooked pasta in this recipe, though I prefer shorter shapes like wagon wheels, farfalle, penne, fusilli, or rotini.
• Olive oil: We add a little olive oil to the cooked pasta as it cools so it doesn’t stick together and is easy to mix into the salad.
• Chicken: You can use any cooked chicken that your family likes or that you have on hand including rotisserie chicken, chicken cutlets, Chicken Bites, chicken breast, chicken thighs—even chicken nuggets!
• Romaine lettuce: Shredded romaine gives the pasta salad the crunch we want. I like to shred crisp romaine lettuce it so it’s easy for the kids to eat.
• Croutons: I prefer “Caesar croutons” since they tend to have the flavor we expect in a restaurant-style Caesar salad, so look for those at your store.
• Caesar dressing: You can use store bought dressing or my homemade Caesar dressing, which is easy to stir together using mayonnaise or yogurt, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon.
• Parmesan cheese: Extra Parmesan makes the whole pasta salad really come together flavor-wise.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Below is an overview of how to make the Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full information.

How to Store

Store leftover Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The lettuce may soften a little as it sits.

You can also store the components of the dish separately and mix them together whenever you need an easy meal or have kids lunches to pack.

Best Tips for Success

• You can make this salad with my Italian Chicken Cutlets or Baked Chicken Tenders or rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken from the store.
• Use a gluten-free pasta as desired.
• Use gluten-free croutons if needed.
• Try my Easy Caesar dressing or one from the store.
• Mix the pasta salad together or serve the elements side-by-side so everyone can mix and match as they like. The dressing can also be used as a dip if the kids prefer to eat it that way.
• Add halved cherry tomatoes, black pepper, or extra lemon juice if you like.

Related Recipes

Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

One Pot Mac and Cheese

One Pan Pasta Recipes

Easy One Pan Dinners for Family

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