Winner, Winner, chicken dinner!
Weekdays can often be busy, and finding time and energy to make lunches can be a challenge sometimes! As a mum of three kids and two stepkids, I know what busy weekdays look like. I have, however, found that with some forward planning, I can still make yummy lunches for the week. This weeks make ahead lunch is chicken pasta salad!
I made two different types, but with pretty much the same ingredients!
Chicken Lemon & Garlic and Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts (more or less, depending on how much you want to make).
- Penne or Fusilli Pasta or Orzo
- Bell Peppers – I used 2, yellow and red.
- Four cloves of garlic.
- Calamata Olives (optional).
- Cucumber.
- Cherry Tomatoes – 1 pint.
- 1 red onion.
- Fresh (chopped) or dried parsley.
- Lemon slices.
- Salt & Pepper.
- Cooked and chopped bacon – optional.
- Farm Boy Lemon Garlic Dressing.
- Farm Boy Mediterranean Dressing.
Method
Marinate the chicken in Farm Boy Lemon Garlic Dressing with some sliced lemon, one crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper, for at least one hour, or longer if possible.
Bake the chicken breasts in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 mins or until fully cooked. I baked mine with some marinade on top of sliced lemon and sprinkled with some parsley. Once fully cooked, put to the side to cool. Once cooled, dice the chicken breasts.
Boil water and add salt and pasta, and cook until al dente – I made two different pastas, penne and orzo (cooked them separately). Once cooked, drain and let cool.
Dice peppers, onion and cucumber.
Half the cherry tomatoes.
Add the prepared vegetables and chicken into two separate bowls (divided equally).
In one bowl, add the penne pasta and pour over the Farm Boy Mediterranean dressing – I used half a bottle, but you can use less or more to your own liking. I also added some sliced calamata olives to this bowl and seasoned to taste.
In the other bowl, add the orzo pasta and pour over the Farm Boy Lemon Garlic dressing and mix well – I also added some grated lemon zest to this bowl and seasoned to taste.
Pack into individual serving portions and store in the fridge.
I did not provide measurements; there are no hard and fast rules. My motto is “it doesn’t matter”, just go with what you need, what you like, what makes you and your belly happy!
You can also find videos for my recipes on my YouTube channel – it’s a work in progress, I am learning as I go!
You can also used alternative dressings of your preference and if you are feeliing adventurous you can always make your own dressings too.
Enjoy!
Collescapes 