RoW - Colossal Chopped Salad

Feeding a crowd of teenagers? Need to take something to a summer gathering? The Colossal Chopped Salad is a favorite of mine. I usually make it as it is below, but sometimes I have extra cooked chicken or veggies that need to be used up. They fit wonderfully in this lively medley of color and flavor.

The Pampered Chef ® Colossal Chopped Salad Recipe

1 package (16 ounces) uncooked penne pasta
1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1 yellow summer squash or zucchini
2 plum tomatoes
1 large carrot, peeled
1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian or ranch salad dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions in (8-qt.) Stockpot; drain and rinse under cold running water using large Colander. Spoon pasta onto Simple Additions® Large Round Bowl.

Meanwhile, thinly slice lettuce and dice chicken using Chef's Knife. Slice red onion using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with v-shaped blade. Slice yellow squash with Ultimate Mandoline fitted with crinkle blade; cut slices in half using Santoku Knife. Slice tomatoes using Tomato Knife; cut slices in half. Cut carrot into julienne strips using Julienne Peeler; cut strips into 1-inch pieces using Paring Knife. Slice olives using Egg Slicer Plus®.

Top pasta with lettuce, chicken, onion, yellow squash, tomatoes, carrot and olives. Grate Parmesan cheese over vegetables using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with grating blade.

Drizzle dressing over salad; toss using Bamboo Spatulas just before serving.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 230, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Carbohydrate 25 g, Protein 11 g, Sodium 230 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, one of the four delicious salad dressing recipes printed on the side of the Measure, Mix & Pour™ can be substituted for the bottled salad dressing.

© 2009 The Pampered Chef used under license.