Hi Jo. I have been searching for a creamy pasta salad and you have delivered one. It is sad, but true, that many pasta salads are on the dry side, especially leftover. This one certainly fixes that issue. I have the same issue with potato salad, it must be creamy.
So glad you loved it Tom! If using raw chicken, this recipe will definitely take longer, I most often use leftovers or rotisserie chicken. As for the rest of the ingredients, I do a lot of the chopping while the pasta is cooking. I hope that helps!
chicken pasta salad with ranch dressing
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad recipe with cooked chicken, tender pasta and crispy bacon in creamy ranch dressing is a delicious main dish. Cold pasta salad is perfect for a light summer dinner and a hit at family gatherings or potluck dinner!
One of our favorite easy chicken recipes is Instant Pot chicken bacon ranch pasta or one pot chicken bacon ranch pasta. It's warm, cheesy and completely delicious! But in the summer, nobody really wants hot pasta!
So, I made this cold chicken bacon ranch pasta salad for dinner, and all was right in the world. It basically has all of the same flavors as the warm version and plenty of bacon to please the bacon lovers of the world.
While the pasta is cooking, you can chop up your cooked chicken and other ingredients. If you don't have precooked chicken, you can bake chicken breasts, cook them in the air fryer or cook them in the Instant Pot. Pressure cooking is perfect when all you have is frozen chicken breasts!
You can make the pasta salad a day in advance. I recommend stirring in more ranch dressing before serving, as the pasta tends to absorb it. You may also want to add more chopped bacon or add the bacon before serving to keep it crunchy.
Add your favorite salad ingredients. Green onions, red onions, black olives, and sweet peas are great veggie options. Sharp cheddar cheese, red pepper flakes, or a spicy dressing mix can add some extra kick to this delicious meal.
So many classic flavors come together to create this tasty chicken bacon ranch pasta salad. Tender chicken, spiral pasta, fresh crisp vegetables, and tangy cheese all drenched in a homemade ranch dressing make this a fantastic entree salad.
STEP TWO: If you are using uncooked chicken, then proceed with this step: Season the chicken with salt & pepper, drizzle with olive oil, then place in a baking dish. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F until chicken reaches 165F internal temperature.
PRO TIP: Rinsing the cooked pasta in cold water after draining is best when doing a cold pasta salad recipe. It stops the pasta from cooking, and it keeps the pasta loose for the salad.
Now, I know I mentioned above that this pasta salad is great in warm weather, but I will also add, its great pretty much anytime of the year! Sometimes, I prepare this on a Sunday to go with dinner, and then enjoy it for a few quick lunches during the week!
Pasta Salad is a must for the summer and this chicken bacon ranch pasta salad is a must make! Creamy pasta salad with chicken, bacon, and veggies is the perfect side dish to make this summer! This tasty pasta salad is a total crowd pleaser and perfect for a weeknight dinner or a summer potluck!
Summertime in our house means meals on the grill. Just about every night we are grilling and to make my life easier I always make a bunch of side dishes, including cold pasta salads that keep well in the fridge so we can enjoy them with our main dishes all week long.
I like to stick with simple ingredients when cooking during the summer to leave as much time for summer fun as I can. This delicious pasta salad is made with chicken, crispy bacon, veggies, and creamy ranch dressing mixed with tender pasta.
This cold pasta salad recipe is one that my whole family loves and one that we have often in our meal rotation during the summer months. This easy ranch pasta salad is great to enjoy the day you make it but is also a great recipe to make when you are meal prepping and is great to enjoy the next day and a few days after. Many times I will catch the kids grabbing a bowl of this creamy ranch pasta salad with chicken and bacon for lunch when we have it in the fridge.
If you are looking for an amazing pasta salad to bring to a BBQ, potluck dinner, or a family gatherings this easy pasta salad recipe is an excellent choice. No matter what the main dish is, if it is on the grill it will pair perfectly with this ranch chicken pasta salad.
Cool the pasta completely. Overcooking pasta will give you a mushy pasta salad, and so will pasta that is not cooled all the way. As soon as they are done cooking you want to shock the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Let pasta salad sit before serving. You can serve this pasta salad immediately after making it however I find pasta salad is best when it has time to sit in the fridge and all of the flavors are able to mix together. Letting the pasta salad sit for a few hours before serving results in a more flavorful and delicious Ranch chicken pasta salad!
Chop the veggies (and meat) small. Pasta salad is best when the veggies and meat if you are adding any are chopped small. This gives more veggies and more flavor in each bite of this pasta salad with ranch Dressing.
When you are making an easy pasta salad, you want the rest of your meal to be easy to make to. Here are some of my favorite easy summer recipes that I make to go along with it. Check out some of our favorite things to grill along with this pasta side dish!
The main ingredient for this easy macaroni salad is pasta and a shortcut of pasta like fusilli, penne, bow tie, elbow macaroni, rotini pasta or farfalle works best. You can use any type of pasta including whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, or any other legume-based pasta you like.
So this is one of my FAVORITE things about pasta salads, aside from the fact that my whole family loves them. I can make a pasta salad and double or triple the recipe and have it as a side dish for dinners for a few nights. My kids also love eating pasta salad for lunch, so I like to make pasta salad and keep it in the fridge for them to have an easy lunch.
As long as you store leftover pasta salad properly, a pasta salad made with ranch dressing for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to store it in an airtight container, like the rubbermaid containers after you have served it for dinner or if you are making it ahead of time.
You can choose to either freeze the pasta separate from the other ingredients and dressings, or you can also choose to freeze it all mixed up in a single container. Your pasta salad can last about a week in your freezer.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a creamy and refreshing cold pasta salad that is loaded with shredded chicken, vegetables, and crispy bacon seasoned with homemade ranch seasoning. Try my Italian Pasta Salad for another cold pasta salad loaded with fresh ingredients.
With ranch in the title, you know that flavor is going to stand out. And that complements all the other ingredients in this delicious salad. With the added chicken, it is definitely satisfying enough to be a lunch, perfect with some homemade breadsticks. Or you could serve it as a side at the dinner table or at a get-together with family and friends.
When it comes to pasta salad, the kind of pasta you choose does matter. Yes, you can technically use any type of pasta for pasta salads, but pasta that is short and has nooks and crannies is best to absorb all the dressing that is added. In addition, choose dry pasta. Fresh pasta is sometimes too delicate to handle all the ingredients mixed in the dish. Plus, dry pasta is cheaper!
Then, add the cold pasta, shredded chicken, chopped bacon, tomatoes, corn, red onion, and green pepper. Coat everything as you toss it all together. If this is the main course, serve with a side of dinner rolls or roasted parmesan green beans. Serve immediately, or store it (covered) in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the salad. It will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Homestead Recipes is a book about comfort food! The best kind in my opinion. This book has you covered with recipes for all types of meals, with chapters for breakfast, casseroles, soups, appetizers, ground beef, chicken, pork, vegetables, salads, bars, desserts, and cookies.
Dang Nagi! Add my voice to the chorus of people raving about your avocado dressing. Absolutely delicious! I made mine with chives as hubby hates dill and put garlic powder (2 tsp) as I was out of fresh. I also used fake lobster and artichoke hearts instead of bacon and chicken to be a bit healthier. 10/10.
We like a classic rotini pasta salad, because rotini holds the dressing pretty well, but any sturdy pasta will work! Avoid spaghetti and long pastas such as tagliatelle. Rotini, bow tie, penne, and macaroni are all good alternatives for this chicken spinach pasta salad recipe.
It's creamy, herby, and bursting with cooked chicken, crispy bacon pieces, grated cheddar cheese, salad veggies, and best of all a delicious homemade ranch dressing made with mayonnaise and sour cream.
This is a real crowd-pleaser of a pasta salad and is loved by both kids and adults alike. Best of all the chicken and bacon pasta salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed. It really is just perfect for lazy summer days!
My daughter loved this so much after we tried it the first time that it became her requested birthday dinner! She was away at camp last week and this was her welcome home dinner too. I always double the dressing; we love pinwheel pasta for this; you can use another ranch if you are short on time, but the homemade is great! We also keep the lettuce separate if we are not going to finish it so that the leftovers are better preserved.
Broccoli Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad - this delicious salad is loaded with veggies (broccoli, cherry tomatoes, sweet peas), sharp Cheddar cheese, pasta shells, and bacon! Smothered in a creamy Ranch dressing. 2ff7e9595c
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