Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Salad

The I recently made my own adaptation of a recipe. Almost every Tuesday, I work late and make a slow cooker meal for my family. When they get home, dinner is ready and waiting. However, this past Tuesday, it was too hot out to even imagine eating something out of a slow cooker. Instead, I made a fresh pasta salad and stuck it in the refrigerator to be consumed later in the evening. This makes an excellent dinner on the go or easy lunch to pack or eat at home. See the full recipe below. 

1 box pasta (small shells)
2 cans cooked shredded chicken (you can use regular chicken breast, but this is the quick and cheap option)
1 Tablespoon dried chives
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup stuffed green olives (you can also use black, if you want)
1 cucumber, sliced 
2/3 cup Italian dressing
sunflower seeds to taste

Cook pasta in boiling water over medium-high heat until al dente. Meanwhile, in large bowl, add chicken drained and rinsed, add olives, bell pepper, cucumber, and chives. Mix all ingredients. Drain pasta when cooked  and mix in pasta. Add Italian dressing and mix well. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top. Enjoy!  

Cooking Tip
Exchange the chicken for tuna or chickpeas
Add seasonal vegetables to switch it up!


Original recipe found here Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Salad