Here you will find one of the coolest (literally) meal ideas for summer. Here you will see a great way to feed your whole family – even the picky ones. Here you will experience deliciousness that isn’t expensive, offers lots of nourishment, and is super easy to put together. Yes, here is a great idea given to me by several readers last summer that I finally tried last week. Again, I must ask: Why did I wait so long to try this?
Welcome to our lives, oh lovely Pasta Salad Bar. We’re sorry we never met before now. You’ll be a regular visitor at our house this summer. We will load our bowls full of your goodness, based on what sounds good to each of us at that moment. You are deliciously fun.
How do you put together a Pasta Salad Bar? Simple. Just set out everything you have on hand that might taste good in a pasta salad. This is a great way to eat up leftovers or odds and ends from your fridge. Here are some Pasta Salad Bar food suggestions:
- Cooked and cooled whole wheat or brown rice pasta – any shape
- Chopped sweet peppers
- Chopped carrots
- Chopped tomatoes
- Cooked chicken, tuna, steak, roast beef, or other meat that sounds good
- Chickpeas or other cooked beans
- Corn
- Olives
- Shredded cheese
- Favorite salad dressings – we prefer homemade Italian Salad Dressing and Ranch Salad Dressing
Once your food items are set out, simply let everyone fill their bowls with whatever they like. Stir in favorite salad dressings to make a creamy pasta salad, a tangy pasta salad – or a mixture of both! (Yep, I like both Italian and Ranch in my pasta salad.)
This meal is extremely filling and hearty. Oh, and a side of fresh pineapple or chilled watermelon goes great with this.
Ever done something like this before? What other ingredients do you think you would add to this Pasta Salad Bar?
