[ad_1]
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a delightful combination of tender chicken, crispy bacon, and al dente pasta, tossed in a creamy ranch dressing. This flavorful salad is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a satisfying lunch.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Cool and Refreshing – Pasta salad just screams summer! It’s the perfect dinner on a hot summer day with very little cooking required, and no need to turn on the oven.
- Versatile – You can use any kind of chicken you like, from Poached Chicken to rotisserie, and even chicken strips! Same goes for the veggies; stick with the peas and tomatoes, or things like cucumbers, olives, carrots, or avocado.
- Family Friendly – Chicken+Bacon+Ranch is definitely a popular flavor combo with kids and adults alike! I use that combo in lots of recipes, like Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders and Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Sandwiches.
Ingredients
- Pasta – Use a bite-sized pasta, like rotini, farfalle (butterfly), macaroni, or shells.
- Chicken – dice or shredded chicken from a rotisserie, or for fun and added texture I like to use breaded chicken tenders.
- Peas – Frozen and completely thawed.
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes.
- Bacon – One of my favorite cooking methods is in the Oven or Air Fryer. Cook it nice and crispy, then dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Ranch Dressing – Use any brand that you love, or try my homemade ranch dressing.
- Mayonnaise and Sour Cream – Part of the dressing to make it a little thicker and to take down the ranch a notch so it’s not too overwhelming.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can combine the salad ingredients without the dressing up to a day in advance. However, if you plan to use breaded chicken strips, save those for adding the day of to preserve the texture.
The dressing can also be prepped a day in advance and stored separately. Dress the salad no more than a couple of hours before serving.
Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 3-4 days. The pasta may absorb some of the dressing, so add a couple of tablespoons of Ranch to rehydrate when serving leftovers.
Helpful Tips
- Reserve some bacon crumbles – or make extra – to garnish the salad. Chives also make a nice garnish.
- Rinse the pasta to remove the excess starch or cool quickly.
- Optional, but delicious – chop and add some fresh herbs like dill or parsley.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
If you’ve made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating or a comment below. Or, tag us on social media @yellowblissroad or #yellowblissroad for a chance to be featured.
-
Cook the pasta to al dente and allow to cool. Add chicken, bacon, peas and tomatoes and toss to combine.
-
Combine Ranch dressing, sour cream and mayonnaise into a small bowl. Add salt and pepper and stir until combined.
-
Pour dressing mixture over pasta mixture and gently stir to coat.
-
Top with bacon crumbles for garnish, if desired.
* There is no right or wrong when it comes to the chicken. Use crispy chicken strips, boiled chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken or whatever you happen to have on hand.* Cheese makes a great addition to this pasta salad – we like cheddar or blue cheese.
Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 18gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 400mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 241IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
For more delicious pasta salads, be sure to check these out:
[ad_2]
Source link