Description
A vibrant and flavorful Chicken Club Pasta Salad that combines tender pasta, crispy bacon, juicy chicken, fresh vegetables, and creamy ranch dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a quick weeknight dinner, this salad is easy to prepare and full of satisfying textures and flavors.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pastas
- 8 ounces pasta uncooked, such as rigatoni, shells, rotini, penne
Meat & Cheese
- 12 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
- 1 cup cheddar cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Vegetables
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
Dressings & Seasonings
- 1 cup Ranch dressing
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Prepare Salad: In a large mixing bowl, add the drained pasta. Add the cooked bacon, chopped chicken, cherry tomatoes, cheese, celery, and green bell pepper.
- Add Dressing: Pour the Ranch dressing over the ingredients. Toss well until everything is evenly coated and combined.
- Chill & Serve: Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve cold and enjoy!
Notes
- Salt your pasta water generously. Think salty like the sea; this enhances the flavor of the noodles.
- Cook the pasta until al dente to prevent it from becoming mushy in the salad.
- Rinse the cooked pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and keep it firm.
- Since the bacon, cheese, chicken, and dressing are salty, additional salt may not be necessary.
- This salad refrigerates well for up to 5 days but does not freeze well; it tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
