Last summer I was invited to an evening potluck/garden party with a bunch of girlfriends to celebrate our friend who had just had her yard landscaping done. I was asked to bring a salad. I was just BORED with all my salads. It was August, and I had been making and eating salads for months. I just wasn’t in the mood to make or eat any of my regular salads. I started looking through my refrigerator and shelves, in the mood to create something new. I saw a package of tortellini and a lightbulb appeared over my head!
Now, you can make this without chicken, so it is more of a side dish, if desired. You can also leave the bacon and keep it on the side if you anyone is a vegetarian. Without the chicken and bacon, this is actually a great meal for a vegetarian. The cheese filled tortellini is a great source of protein!
Start by cooking the tortellini according to the instructions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool while you prep everything else.
Slice up 2-3 heads of romaine lettuce. Wash and dry the lettuce. Put the cleaned lettuce in a large bowl. I often split it between two large bowls so that it is easier to toss it all together. I usually am making this for a crowd. You could half the recipe if needed.
I like to cut the bacon strips up, then sauté in a skillet until they are barely crisp. Use a large, slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the grease. Cut up the chicken. I usually use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Put the bacon, chicken and cheese on top of the lettuce. Next, add in the cooled tortellini. You see this bowl has gotten quite full now. This is why I often do two large bowls.
My favorite dressing to use is Ken’s Steak House Lite Creamy Ceasar Salad dressing. You may use this one, or one that you love. You could even make a dressing from scratch to use.
Drizzle about 1 – 1 1/2 cups of the dressing. Use a large spoon to toss it all together till the dressing evenly coats all of the salad. Cover tight and refrigerate for about an hour to chill before serving. I don’t always have time to do this, but it is better if it can chill all together before eating.
Serve with croutons on the side, if you wish. The croutons will get soggy and gross in the salad, and since we love leftovers, we keep them separate.
Other salads and potluck sides that we love are –
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- The Best Baked Beans Ever!
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Chip Dip
Tortellini Ceasar Salad
Ceasar Salad with cooked and cooled tortellini added is so simple, yet so delicious. This salad is perfect as a side dish, easily made vegetarian and perfect to take to your next potluck.
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Chill 1 hour hr
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1-1½ lb tortellini
- 3 heads romaine lettuce
- 1 cup Ceasar salad dressing
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 cup chicken, cut up (leftover grilled or rotisserie) optional
- 6 strips bacon
- croutons
Instructions
Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions. Pour into a colander, rinse with cold water then set aside to rest and cool.
Take off the outer leaves of the romaine, if they are looking rough. Chop off the very top, if the leaves are browning. Slice up the whole head, down to the core. Repeat with the other heads of lettuce. Place all the lettuce in a colander to rinse and clean, or a salad spinner to rinse and spin to get the water off. If a spinner is not available, gently shake the colander with the wet lettuce to shake off as much water as possible, then move through the lettuce with a few paper towels to soak up as much water as you are able to. We don't want the lettuce to be dripping wet.
Place the cleaned lettuce into a very large salad bowl, or separate into two big bowls, which is what I normally do.
Lay out the strips of bacon together in a bunch, on a cutting board. Cut into small pieces. Place the bacon pieces into a large, hot skillet. Stir and watch closely till done. Scoop out the pieces with a large, slotted spoon onto a plate with paper towels to absorb the grease. Set aside.
Cut up a couple pieces of grilled or broiled chicken or some rotisserie chicken.
Add the chicken and bacon to the salad. Pour the dressing over the top. Use more than a cup if you wish. Add the parmesan cheese. Use salad tongs to toss it all together. Add the cooled tortellini on top and use a large spoon to fold the pasta into the salad.
Serve with a bowl of croutons on the side. This salad keeps well if covered tightly in the fridge for 1-2 days. Except the croutons, which is why we keep them on the side.
Notes
**If using as a side dish I keep the chicken out, but still add the bacon. If you are serving a vegetarian, keep the bacon on the side with the croutons for those who want it.
**My absolute favorite dressing to use on this salad is the Ken's Steak House Lite Creamy Ceasar.
Keyword dinner salad, pasta salad, salad
