Thank you Brawny® Tear-A-Square® for sponsoring this post. Think of all the ways you can Put a Square There!
What’s going on here today? Oh. You know. Just some pasta salad goodness in meal prep form. Complete with a creamy homemade Greek dressing, a rainbow of veggies, juicy seasoned chicken, and tons of feta cheese, all on top of a bed of crunchy arugula. The best part? It’s all done in 30 minutes? Yup. This is a meal prep dream come true.
Y’all know how much I LOVE meal prep around here. And you guys love it, too (they’re consistently the most popular recipes)! Whether it’s prep ahead cauliflower marinades, freezer-friendly breakfast burritos, or this BOMB Greek chicken pasta salad – meal prep just makes life a little bit easier and frees up time for more pressing summer activities. Like floating in a pool all day. Or napping in the sun. Or kayaking. Or going on a week long road trip to Maine. Or whatever your summer heart desires.
I have a few key rules for successful, fuss-free meal prepping:
- The recipe needs to be easy and relatively quick to make. This one only takes around 30 minutes. Thirty minutes and you have 4 days worth of lunches prepped! What is this sorcery?
- The recipe needs to be easy to eat whether you have time to sit down or you’re on the go. I’m not trying to get sauce all over my shirt. Ya feel me?
- Clean up as you go. I cannot emphasize this one enough. It makes the whole process so much more streamlined, and when you’re done, all you have left to do is portion the finished product into your containers and pop them into the fridge! I’m telling you – it’s life-changing.
Whenever I’m meal prepping, I become infinitely more grateful for the existence of paper towels. I usually have to use full sheets for cleaning up as I go through the prep and cooking process. But when I’m packing up lunches, I’ve been loving these new Brawny® Tear-A-Square quarter sheets. I don’t know who came up with this brilliant idea, but these are basically the most genius invention since sliced bread. Brawny® paper towels were a staple in my life when I was growing up, and now it’s a staple in our house. These new quarter sheets made me love Brawny® even more! They’re seriously the best size for packed lunches. They save us from wasting any excess paper towel (score!), and they fit perfectly inside of lunch boxes. I pack 3 quarter sheets in each lunch box – 1 to set a drink on and 2 for cleaning up. Even though this pasta salad isn’t a particularly “messy” meal prep lunch, I can guarantee you that I’ll make at least one mess while I’m eating it. I’m just cool like that. 💁
This Greek chicken meal prep has become mine and Clark’s new favorite option for summertime lunches. It’s delicious cold or warmed up, it’s so easy to make, and it’s loaded with veggies, proteins, and healthy fats. I can promise you’re not going to get hungry again an hour after lunch with these bad boys.
I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of this meal prep recipe! Make it ASAP and be sure to snap a picture! Tag us on Instagram so we can post your creation on our stories. <3
Print
Greek Pasta Salad Meal Prep
Description
This Greek pasta salad recipe is a super easy meal prep idea with minimal cleanup involved. It's loaded with seasoned chicken, fresh veggies, and a creamy homemade dressing, then served over arugula or whatever greens you like best!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- cooking spray
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups uncooked penne
- water for pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
- ¼ cup red onions, sliced thin
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- 2 Tablespoons feta cheese
- 3 cups arugula
DRESSING
- ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup coconut milk (whole, canned)
- 2 Tablespoons feta cheese
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon brine from kalamata olives (optional, but I recommend it!)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º and line a baking sheet with foil. Coat lightly with cooking spray and place chicken breasts onto the sheet. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook chicken 8 minutes, then flip and cook for 8 more minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, cook your pasta and prepare your veggies!
- By the time your chicken is cooked and pasta is finished, you’ll be ready to make your dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
- At this point, you have a quick decision to make – you can either chop your chicken and combine it into the pasta salad or slice it and serve it on top. I’ve made it both ways and it’s good either way!
- Allow pasta to cool, then add it into the large bowl with the dressing. Add in the red onion, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, and chicken (if you’re mixing it in!). Toss to combine.
- Fill each meal prep container with about 1 cup of greens, then portion the pasta mixture into the containers. Store in the refrigerator to enjoy later.
Oh I love greek salad! It is good for lunch or dinner! Adding it to the meal plan is a delicious idea!
Same here! I love anything Greek-inspired. Hope you enjoy!
LOVE this! I just decided to give food prep another try this week as my meals as of late have been lacking a certain... healthy factor. Can't wait to give this delicious looking salad a try!
Oh yay! Best of luck – you can totally handle it. This recipe makes it so simple!
This looks so healthy and delicious! I appreciate the meal prepping tips as this is something I always struggle with. Thanks for the great recipe!
I used to struggle with meal prep too but it seriously makes life so much easier! Enjoy. :)
I made this for lunch and it was so good. It's hard for me to decide what to make, but it saves so much money so this was such a great idea!!
Yay! I'm so glad you tried it out and enjoyed. You're right – it's such a money saver AND a time saver. :)
A very satisfying salad to have throughout the week. I really like the idea of easy prep plus making lunches up ahead of time. The week is packed with things to do - if I can save time PLUS have a delicious lunch - I'm all for it. The nutritional addition of the arugula is great.
Agreed! It's such a filling meal. And it saves SO much time! Hope you enjoy. :)
This Greek pasta salad meal prep recipe looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I love that the dressing is lightened up with a bit of Greek yogurt, but is still perfectly creamy! Can't wait to give this recipe a whirl!
Yes! It adds a nice boost of protein too. Enjoy!
Meal preps are helpful. This pasta salad looks delicious and a perfect work week meal. We are big pasta fan and gorge in it whenever possible.
Yes! Meal prepping is such a life-saver. Hope you guys enjoy!
Yum! This Greek Pasts Salad looks sooo delicious! Perfectly prepared! I should try to make this Meal Prep for my husband.
This is a husband-approved meal prep recipe – I speak from experience lol.
Oh yum!!! I love the dressing for this salad. I that you use Greek yogurt in it. The addition of arugula is absolutely perfect. It adds a little peppery bite to the salad. I love arugula.
The greek yogurt adds a perfect tang to the dressing. SUCH yummy flavor combos.
I am always looking for new and exciting meal prep recipes and this Greek pasta sure looks like a winner!
This will be right up your alley!
Oh my goodness! What a delicious lunch prep idea for me to bring to school when us teachers get our quick lunch break! I'd be the envy of the lunch room with this greek pasta salad! Mmmmmm!
Most definitely! Everyone is going to be asking for the recipe. :)