Description
A delicious and hearty Chicken Club Pasta Salad combining tender pasta, crispy bacon, juicy chicken, fresh vegetables, and a creamy ranch dressing. Perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, or a quick weeknight dinner, this salad is both satisfying and easy to prepare in advance.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta uncooked, such as rigatoni, shells, rotini, penne
Protein and Dairy
- 12 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
- 1 cup cheddar cheese cut in 1/2-inch cubes
Vegetables
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
Condiments
- 1 cup Ranch dressing
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Prepare the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta. Then, add the crumbled bacon, chopped chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, cubed cheddar cheese, chopped celery, and chopped green bell pepper.
- Add Dressing and Toss: Pour the ranch dressing over the ingredients in the bowl. Toss everything well until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Serve: Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to let flavors meld. Toss again before serving if needed.
Notes
- Salt your pasta water generously—think salty like the sea—to add flavor to the noodles.
- Avoid overcooking the pasta; al dente is best for salads to prevent mushiness.
- Be sure to rinse the pasta with cold water to halt the cooking process and keep the salad cold and crisp.
- Since the salad contains salty ingredients like bacon, cheese, chicken, and dressing, additional salt is usually unnecessary.
- This salad tastes even better after chilling for a few hours, making it ideal for meal prepping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
