Description
Creamy chicken bacon ranch pasta salad combines classic flavor profiles for a crowd-pleasing summer dish. Crisp vegetables, tender chicken, and smoky bacon create a satisfying meal perfect for picnics and potlucks you will crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) cooked chicken breast, diced
- 3 cups (240 g) cooked pasta (rotini or penne)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup (240 ml) ranch dressing
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup (75 g) red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup (75 g) chopped cucumber (optional)
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Immerse pasta in salted water, cooking until al dente. Swiftly transfer to an ice bath to cease cooking process and prevent clumping. Drain thoroughly.
- Protein and Garnish Preparation: Cube chicken into uniform pieces and crumble bacon into fine fragments. Halve cherry tomatoes and finely dice red onion for consistent flavor distribution.
- Vegetable and Cheese Handling: Delicately shred cheese and slice cucumber into gossamer-thin rounds.
- Composition: In a large mixing bowl, gently amalgamate pasta, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, onion, and cucumber, creating a harmonious blend of ingredients.
- Dressing and Seasoning: Lavishly drizzle ranch dressing over the mixture, meticulously folding to ensure complete and even coverage. Sprinkle kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, calibrating seasoning to taste.
- Flavor Melding: Refrigerate the salad for 45 minutes, allowing ingredients to marinate and develop complex flavor profiles.
- Finishing Touch: Before serving, embellish with freshly chopped parsley to introduce a vibrant, aromatic dimension. Present chilled, relishing the intricate interplay of textures and tastes.
Notes
- Chill Pasta Properly: Quickly transfer pasta to ice bath stops cooking process and prevents mushy texture, ensuring perfect al dente consistency.
- Balance Ingredient Sizes: Cut chicken, bacon, vegetables into uniform small pieces guarantees balanced flavor and texture in every bite.
- Control Dressing Coating: Fold ranch dressing gently to prevent ingredients from becoming soggy, maintaining crisp vegetable and pasta texture.
- Enhance Flavor Development: Refrigerate salad at least 45 minutes allows ingredients to marinate, deepening overall taste profile and melding complementary flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 690
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1050mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 120mg