Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is an easy to make side dish for all your summer potlucks and gatherings. This pasta salad is loaded with tons of flavor thanks to the creamy ranch dressing.

I love a good pasta salad as you might have noticed from my BLT pasta salad, Tuscan pasta salad, or Italian pasta salad…you can never have enough variations!

Why I love this recipe

This creamy ranch pasta salad is super filling thanks to the chicken and bacon, it can stand as a meal all on its own.

It is also super fast and easy to throw together, and perfect for using up leftover chicken and bacon you might have on hand.

Ingredients

• chicken breasts – cooked, cooled, and cubed
• bacon – cooked and crumbled
• rotini pasta – feel free to substitute penne, bowtie, or other sturdy pasta shapes
• shredded cheese – I used cheddar but you could switch it up to your favorite flavor
• cherry tomatoes
• red onion
• ranch dressing – homemade or store-bought

Step by step

1. Cook the pasta, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine chicken, pasta, bacon, tomatoes, onion, and shredded cheese. Mix to combine.
3. Add salad dressing and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Tips for best results

To make this recipe even faster use store-bought precooked bacon and chicken. You can also use rotesserie chicken or it is a great way to use up leftover chicken from a previous night’s meal.

Do not skip chilling the pasta salad before serving, this allows time for the flavors to blend.

Storage

Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing pasta salad.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

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