Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
A delightful pasta salad featuring chicken, bacon, and a creamy ranch dressing.
Equipment
- Large Skillet For cooking chicken and bacon.
- Large pot For boiling pasta.
- Mixing bowl For combining ingredients.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts or tenderloins, diced
- 7 oz romaine lettuce, shredded
- 8 strips bacon, diced
- 8 oz dry rotini or fusili pasta
- 6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
- 5 units green onions, diced
- 3.75 cup ranch dressing
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning or Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch Perfect Salad Supreme
- 0.5 cup croutons, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large pan, cook the diced bacon over low heat until crispy, approximately 8-10 minutes. Set aside, but don’t forget to reserve half of the bacon drippings for added flavor.
- Remove half of the bacon drippings, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season generously with your preferred seasoning. Cook the chicken in the skillet over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. This ensures the chicken is juicy and flavorful.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, usually about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, rinse the pasta with cool water to stop the cooking process and drain well.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, diced chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions. Pour most of the ranch dressing over the mixture (reserve some for later) and toss everything together. Sprinkle the Salad Supreme seasoning to taste for that extra flavor kick.
- Before serving, gently fold in the romaine lettuce, croutons, and any extra dressing. This keeps the lettuce fresh and crisp!
Notes
No alcoholic drinks allowed, please substitute with a non-alcoholic option.