Mama's Chicken Pasta Salad

Mama's Chicken Pasta Salad... seriously the best chicken pasta salad EVER!

mmmmmm *drool* I just ate 2 plates of this

Sweet and crunchy red bell pepper

moist chicken

yummy black olives

who doesn't like pasta?

mayo and sour cream to make it thick and delicious

shredded sharp cheddar for a good bite

peas for a sweet pop of flavor

seasoned to perfection! 

mix it mix it mix it all up

This is perfect for when the weather is hot and you need something nice to cool you down. This is also the perfect type of thing to bring to a pot-luck. Everyone loves this dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper chopped up
• 3 medium sized chicken breasts cubed 
• 1/2 can of jumbo black olives sliced up
• 1/2 pound (half regular sized box) bow-tie pasta
• 8 oz. sour cream 
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup frozen peas (depends on how much you like peas.. I usually end up somewhere in the middle. I honestly just dump half the bag in)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil your chicken breasts until cooked all the way through and then set aside to cool, about 20-30 minutes.
2. While your chicken breasts are cooling, cook your bow-tie pasta in some salted boiling water. Once your pasta is done cooking, strain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and to cool the pasta down. 
3. By now you should be able to chop up your chicken breasts into cubes. You could also lightly shred your chicken if that is easier. It tastes the same either way!
4. Now you can mix your chopped bell pepper, cubed chicken breasts, sliced black olives, bow-tie pasta, sour cream, mayo, shredded cheese, peas, and your seasonings. Mix it all together until everything is very well incorporated. 
5. Usually the frozen peas cool everything down enough that it is cold and ready to eat as soon as you are done mixing. But you can also cover it and stick it in the fridge for an hour or two or even overnight if you wish. The colder the better, in my personal opinion. 

This is a personal favorite of mine, and the rest of my family loves it, I hope you enjoy it too! :D