This is the perfect comfort food for cold days. To make it vegan, substitute non-dairy ingredients for dairy. Leftover filling makes a great lunch! If you want to make mashed potatoes from scratch, you will want at least 4 cups when you are through.
This Pasta salad is a nutritious and light summer meal or side dish. My 4 yr old loves the veggies in this. I regularly use up grilled leftovers (chicken and veggies) in this salad.