Yum!

What three things make me love a certain food? Color, texture, and fresh ingredients! Poppy Seed Pasta Salad has all three! I got away for a day at the lake with a friend of mine this summer, and she made this dish while we were there. I loved it right away because it is easy, and it has all three of the things that make a great meal or dish, in my humble opinion!

Here's how to make it if you'd like to try...

You need

*1 can of chicken breast in water

*1 box of Gemelli pasta (actually half a box is enough for our family)
*1 bottle of Poppy seed dressing (once again, you won't need the whole bottle - it can be a tricky to find too. Try to look for it near the Ranch dressings.)

*A bunch of green onions

*Dry cranberries, as many as you prefer. I used about one cup full.

*Slivered almonds (and a tablespoon or two of butter) I used about a cup of almonds.

1) Cook Pasta according to box, drain.

2) Drain water from canned chicken, then add the chicken to the pasta. Flake it up a bit with a fork.

3)Cut up green onions, as much as you prefer, add them to pasta.

4)Melt a little butter in a separate pan and add almonds. Cook carefully on Med-Low until toasted. Then add them to pasta.

5) Add dried cranberries to pasta.

6) Pour poppy seed dressing on the pasta and mix well.

*You can serve immediately while it is still warm, or you can refrigerate and serve later. Both ways are tasty! Make sure to add more dressing later if you aren't serving it right away, as the pasta will soak up some of the dressing.*

Enjoy!

(Thanks Jen!!)