Comments on: A Crowd Pleaser – Spinach and Chicken Pasta Salad http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/ Leigh Anne Wilkes Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:39:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Debbie Campbell http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12140 Debbie Campbell Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:21:01 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12140 Susan~ I made this for a luncheon for 50 people last Wednesday. This is how I prepared it and it worked out great. I grilled the chicken and made the dressing and refrigerated two days before. The day before I boiled the pasta and once cooled transferred to a large zip lock bag. I drained all of the water chestnuts and madarin oranges and placed them in smaller zip locks. I toasted the sesame seeds and almonds (I used them instead of peanuts.) I also chopped the green onions and parsley. So.....at this point everything is ready to go. The morning of the luncheon I combined some of the dressing into the bags of pasta. About 20 minutes before I was ready to serve I combined all the ziplocks with the spinach in a large bowl and put a light coating of the dressing throughout. (This was Leigh suggestion....not more than 30 minutes before serving, she suggested.) I combined more of the ingredients later to replace the large empty bowl. I will tell you that everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. I hope this helps. I served it without a practice run through as well! Susan~ I made this for a luncheon for 50 people last Wednesday. This is how I prepared it and it worked out great. I grilled the chicken and made the dressing and refrigerated two days before. The day before I boiled the pasta and once cooled transferred to a large zip lock bag. I drained all of the water chestnuts and madarin oranges and placed them in smaller zip locks. I toasted the sesame seeds and almonds (I used them instead of peanuts.) I also chopped the green onions and parsley. So…..at this point everything is ready to go. The morning of the luncheon I combined some of the dressing into the bags of pasta. About 20 minutes before I was ready to serve I combined all the ziplocks with the spinach in a large bowl and put a light coating of the dressing throughout. (This was Leigh suggestion….not more than 30 minutes before serving, she suggested.) I combined more of the ingredients later to replace the large empty bowl. I will tell you that everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. I hope this helps. I served it without a practice run through as well!

]]> By: Susan Adams http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12137 Susan Adams Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:10:47 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12137 I am planning to make this for a luncheon and was hoping I could prepare at least some of it in advance - as much as a day or two. For the flavors to soak in optimally, should the blended dressing be room temperature when poured over the pasta to marinate in the refrigerator? If the pasta marinates for 12+ hours instead of 2 - and the salad is mixed and refrigerated (separate from the pasta & dressing) the day before it is to be served - and then all combined and refrigerated for several hours before serving - will it still look and taste fresh? Some recipes call for mixing the spinach with the other ingredients into cooled pasta and then refrigerating until ready to serve. I prefer the ingredients in your recipe but don't have time to experiment before serving. Thanks in advance for your reply(ies)! :-) I am planning to make this for a luncheon and was hoping I could prepare at least some of it in advance – as much as a day or two. For the flavors to soak in optimally, should the blended dressing be room temperature when poured over the pasta to marinate in the refrigerator? If the pasta marinates for 12+ hours instead of 2 – and the salad is mixed and refrigerated (separate from the pasta & dressing) the day before it is to be served – and then all combined and refrigerated for several hours before serving – will it still look and taste fresh?
Some recipes call for mixing the spinach with the other ingredients into cooled pasta and then refrigerating until ready to serve. I prefer the ingredients in your recipe but don’t have time to experiment before serving. Thanks in advance for your reply(ies)! :-)

]]> By: Leigh Anne http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12054 Leigh Anne Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:12:31 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12054 Spinach doesn't hold for a long time, especially if it is hot. I always mix it up right before serving. If you can keep it cool and go light on the dressing you could do it ahead of time but no more than 30 minutes. Enjoy! Spinach doesn’t hold for a long time, especially if it is hot. I always mix it up right before serving. If you can keep it cool and go light on the dressing you could do it ahead of time but no more than 30 minutes. Enjoy!

]]> By: Debbie http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12042 Debbie Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:35:17 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-12042 How long before you serve this can you mix everything together? I am worried about it getting soggy but am serving it to a large group and need to have it ready to go. Thanks! How long before you serve this can you mix everything together? I am worried about it getting soggy but am serving it to a large group and need to have it ready to go. Thanks!

]]> By: Charity http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-10779 Charity Mon, 24 May 2010 18:19:21 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-10779 Made this last week! Delicious! My 2.5 year old quadruplets & my 7 year old son even LOVED it! Thanks so much for a new summer recipe! =) Made this last week! Delicious! My 2.5 year old quadruplets & my 7 year old son even LOVED it! Thanks so much for a new summer recipe! =)

]]> By: Tammy http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-7605 Tammy Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:03:29 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-7605 I doubled this recipe and made it for my Texas Holdem group of 20. Everyone raved about this salad ! Thank you so much for the recipe. It is a definite keeper!! I doubled this recipe and made it for my Texas Holdem group of 20. Everyone raved about this salad ! Thank you so much for the recipe. It is a definite keeper!!

]]> By: robin http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-5961 robin Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:17:27 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-5961 i found the sauce at safeway. it's in the area of the teriyaki sauce. however, it was only available in a LARGE jug! but it was just 8 bucks. once you take a sniff of the stuff, i don't think you'll mind having a bunch of it. i can't wait to marinade some chicken in it. thanks for the recipe! i'm making a huge batch as we speak :O) i found the sauce at safeway. it’s in the area of the teriyaki sauce. however, it was only available in a LARGE jug! but it was just 8 bucks. once you take a sniff of the stuff, i don’t think you’ll mind having a bunch of it. i can’t wait to marinade some chicken in it.

thanks for the recipe! i’m making a huge batch as we speak :O)

]]> By: Emily Wilkes http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-586 Emily Wilkes Thu, 22 May 2008 17:22:32 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-586 I made this salad yesterday too, the ladies at my mid week luncheon loved it and took most of the leftover home. I love this salad!! I made this salad yesterday too, the ladies at my mid week luncheon loved it and took most of the leftover home. I love this salad!!

]]> By: Leigh Anne http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-585 Leigh Anne Wed, 21 May 2008 13:16:07 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-585 Paula » I buy it at Costco. Mr Yoshida lives here in Portland so it is easy to find! If you can't find it you could just use teriyaki sauce. I think the gourme sauce is a little sweeter so just taste and see if the dressing might need a bit more sugar. Enjoy! Paula »

I buy it at Costco. Mr Yoshida lives here in Portland so it is easy to find! If you can’t find it you could just use teriyaki sauce. I think the gourme sauce is a little sweeter so just taste and see if the dressing might need a bit more sugar. Enjoy!

]]> By: Leigh Anne http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-584 Leigh Anne Wed, 21 May 2008 13:13:49 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-584 Linda, If you are serving as a meal and not a side, one recipe, 20 oz. of spinach will feed 10 but when feeding a crowd I buy the 40 oz. bags of spinach from Costco and that will feed 20. I use the same amounts of everything else - this recipe really stretches! I just make up some extra dressing and add in more as I go to make sure it's not too dry. Sorry this isn't more exact. It's one of those recipes that I just throw things in by the handful and make it stretch to feed how many people I have - add a little more spinach, add a little more dressing etc. Linda,
If you are serving as a meal and not a side, one recipe, 20 oz. of spinach will feed 10 but when feeding a crowd I buy the 40 oz. bags of spinach from Costco and that will feed 20. I use the same amounts of everything else – this recipe really stretches! I just make up some extra dressing and add in more as I go to make sure it’s not too dry. Sorry this isn’t more exact. It’s one of those recipes that I just throw things in by the handful and make it stretch to feed how many people I have – add a little more spinach, add a little more dressing etc.

]]> By: Paula http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-583 Paula Wed, 21 May 2008 13:01:30 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-583 Hi-Where do you find Yoshida's gourmet sauce?? And if I can't find it in my area-what could I substitute? Love your recipes!!! Hi-Where do you find Yoshida’s gourmet sauce?? And if I can’t find it in my area-what could I substitute? Love your recipes!!!

]]> By: Linda http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-582 Linda Wed, 21 May 2008 12:59:56 +0000 http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/a-crowd-pleaser-spinach-and-chicken-pasta-salad/#comment-582 Leigh Anne this looks so yummy! How many servings would you say for this size of recipe? Leigh Anne this looks so yummy! How many servings would you say for this size of recipe?

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