Chicken Tortellini Salad

We've all been there...

you know you need to make dinner but it's just too HOT...

and we all know we're going to be there a few more times this summer... 

especially since it's not even summer yet!

This is a wonderfully easy recipe that I stole from my friend Rayna...

the beauty of this recipe is that you can make it in the cool of the morning or the night before, or whenever and then toss it together when it's time to eat...

it's also an easy meal to throw together for someone if you have anyone that might need a meal this summer 

(well except for the family that I took this meal to last night...

I slaved away in a hot kitchen for you most of the day yesterday!)

...and it's also easy to make a vegetarian version (leave out the chicken) 

or beef it up (with steak strips instead of chicken)...

Chicken Tortellini Salad

Grilled Chicken Breast (as many as you need to feed the people you are making the salad for...

     I used 3 breast and made 2 salads yesterday, 

     one for our family and one for another family...

     for a total of 4 adults and 4 children...)

Italian Dressing or marinade of your choice

1 package of Cheese Tortellinis (fresh or frozen)

Romain Lettuce (or a bag of Romain Salad)

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Caesar Dressing

Croutons -optional

Marinade the Chicken for whatever length of time you have (Mine sat in some Italian Dressing for about an hour), and then grill (if this is on your menu for later in the week and you fire of the grill earlier, throw the chicken breast on the grill and then just keep them in the fridge until you need them for the recipe...no need to grill them the night/day of!)..slice up chicken into decent strips.

Cook Tortellinis according to package directions, drain and cool. You can also cook these earlier in the day and have them cooling in the fridge.

Chop up the Romain Lettuce, toss in the cooled tortellinis, the sliced up grilled chicken, the Parmesan cheese and either dress with the Caesar or leave that for everyone to dress on their own, add croutons in desired.

pic with maybe a little too much dressing and sans croutons...

and yes on paper plates...

who wants to do dishes on a hot summer night?!

My kids ate all of their dinner last night...both of them love this salad...

and I left out the croutons...

1st because then my kids would have only ate the croutons and forgot there was a salad to eat...

and 2nd I forgot to buy the croutons when I was shopping....

I didn't serve it with anything, but a nice fresh loaf of French Bread would have been nice and maybe a fruit salad on the side...but the salad was enough for my family...