Jeff and I enjoy cooking together, and a cooking class is such a fun, relaxing date night. We took a class late summer with the awesome Michael Hastings, Food Columnist for the Winston-Salem Journal. Michael shared his recipes from the class and we recently made this one at home– it’s both easy and delicious! This warm salad recipe is ahhh-mazing and can be used as a main dish that will serve four generous portions, or could be a side dish serving several. You could easily leave off the grilled chicken if you wanted a meat-free meal. Special thanks to Michael for his permission to share.

First, season the chicken (we used Creole- yum!) and grill or saute it.

While you’re boiling your tortellini, mix up the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar and basil. Season with salt and pepper. This will be your salad dressing.

Cut up your veggies.

Once your tortellini is cooked, drained and slightly cooled, toss the pasta with your dressing.

Add in your veggies and mix.

Slice your chicken, add to your salad and toss.

Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley and serve. Enjoy!

Chicken, Avocado and Tortellini Salad

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Ingredients

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1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Southwestern or Creole seasoning blend
1 (9 ounce) package of cheese stuffed tortellini
1/4 – 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 – 1/2 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

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Instructions

Generously season the chicken on both sides with seasoning blend. Saute or grill the chicken breasts just until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, then drain.
While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl blend the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, sugar and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the pasta is still warm, toss it with the dressing. Slice the chicken. Add the chicken to the pasta along with tomatoes, onion and avocado. Toss well. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. If mixture seems dry, add an additional tablespoon of mayo and sour cream. Divide among four plates and garnish with chopped parsley. Cover and chill if not serving immediately. For best results, remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.