Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad

I may have overdone it a bit in Vegas.  How many people do you think have said that before?  Cliché.

But this wasn't in the gambling or typical Sin City way.  While traveling for work (apparently it is possible to work while in Vegas... who knew), I perhaps went a little overboard in the eating department.  The restaurants there are just sooo good.  We were lucky enough to discover Pub 1842 on their 8th day of business.  The burger you see above is their Peanut Butter Crunch burger, which consists of the best prepared patty I've ever had, crunchy peanut butter, bacon jam and a potato chip topping.  Pause for effect.  It was insanely good and I will have food dreams about it for years to come.  To drink I had "The Heist" with Bulleit bourbon, strawberry-pepper syrup, vanilla and fresh lemon juice.  Needless to say, I called my husband and told him we'd be stopping here every Vegas trip we will ever make for the rest of our lives.

After a few days of overdoing it, I always crave something quick, fresh and easy to make at home while I detox.  This Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad fits the bill.  It's super easy and quick for a weeknight, tasty and filling enough to leave you satisfied and pretty cheap to make.  I use light Caesar dressing so it's not horrible in the calorie department, which makes this a great option when trying to recover from a particularly damaging weekend (or week in Vegas).  The cheesy pasta and chicken are served warm with a Caesar dressing and the crisp lettuce and crunchy croutons all work together to create interest and texture. 

Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad:
Serves 2-4

1 (8.8 oz) package of cheese and spinach or three cheese tortellini
Fresh romaine lettuce, washed and ready to use
3/4 cup fat-free herb seasoned croutons
2/3 cup bottled light Caesar dressing, divided
2 chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with salt and pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions. At the same time, cook diced chicken in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  While your pasta and chicken are cooking, toss salad greens in a bowl with half the salad dressing.  Drain pasta when done.  In another bowl, toss remaining dressing with the hot pasta until it is well coated.  To assemble each serving: place the lettuce on each plate, top with pasta mixture and then cooked chicken.  Sprinkle croutons on top and serve with fruit or crusty bread.