My biggest tips for saving time while cooking is to just eyeball your ingredients. Taste as you go along and adjust accordingly. You'll be able to prep faster and you will have fewer dishes to clean up!
The recipe is flexible. If you do not like bacon, cheese, tomatoes, just omit! You can also add extra vegetables like cucumber, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Servings: 1Salad (about 6 servings)
Ingredients
2HeartsRomaine or Iceberg Lettucechopped
8Slicesbaconfried, drained, and chopped (can substitute bacon bits or precooked bacon)
1CupWhole Wheat or Gluten Free Pasta
2mediumChicken BreastChopped into bite size pieces
1/4SmallOnionsliced
1/2CupPeascooked and cooled
1CupGrape or Cherry TomatoesOr Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/2CupReal MayoI used Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper
1/2CupSour Cream
3tspgarlicminced
8ouncesCheddar CheeseOptional - Cubed
Salt and PepperOptional - to taste
Instructions
Season and cook chicken as preferred. Bake, Boil, Roast, whatever you like most! Chop chicken into bite size pieces.
While bacon is frying, boil water for pasta and chop lettuce, onion, and tomatoes.
Cube cheese. Place in a separate bowl, you will add this just before serving.
Split lettuce, tomato, onion, and peas evenly over separate meal prep containers.
Cook pasta according to package, drain, rinse with cool water, set to side.
In a small bowl mix Mayo, Sour Cream, Garlic, salt and pepper.
Mix Mayo mixture with pasta and chicken. It will seem too creamy but you will add your salad ingredients and bacon the day of serving.
Chop bacon into bite size pieces. Set aside to add to veggies the day of serving.
The night before (or in the morning) as you pack your lunch, add a portion of chicken and pasta mixture to salad mix.
Top with cheese and bacon just before serving.
Notes
*There are some extra steps for meal prep on this meal but it's so good! If you prep more than a day in advance the cheese and bacon will become soggy, that's why we keep them separate. Low CarbDays- Omit pasta (adjust your pasta amount before cooking) and cut down on the amount of dressing or add extra Romaine to keep from being too creamy.