• Blog
  • Home
  • How to Start a Blog
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Hundreds of ideas for creative ways to eat, make & decorate!

  • Chalk Couture SHOP
  • eat
    • Dessert
    • Drink
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
  • make
    • crafts…
    • diy projects
    • cleaning and organizing
    • holiday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • 4th of July
      • Valentine’s Day
    • freebies
  • decorate
  • subscribe

The Easiest Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Bacon ranch pasta salad wasn’t something I thought about for a long time, but then one day it just came to me. Why wouldn’t these iconic flavors be great together? Let me tell you, they are! 

bacon ranch pasta salad

Ingredients:
10 oz bow tie pasta, dry
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
1 – 2 green onions, sliced
½ c buttermilk ranch dressing

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the al dente package directions. **See notes below
2. Drain pasta and cool it down with cold water.
3. Transfer cooled pasta to a large bowl.
4. Add the cheddar, green onions, and ranch dressing. **See notes below
5. Fold the ingredients together gently as to not tear the pasta.
6. Refrigerate the salad covered, for approximately 1 hour before serving.
7. Just before serving, fold in crumbled bacon.

**recipe notes:
As soon as the pasta is cooked through, remove it. The pasta should be cooked but firm (al dente), – if the pasta is too soft, it will fall apart and/or tear while you’re mixing the salad ingredients together.

When adding the ranch dressing, start with a ½ c. If you find you like a creamier salad, add more as you go, in small increments.

Waiting to add the crumbled bacon to the end ensures that the bacon will hold it’s crispiness, and not get soft while sitting in the salad ingredients.

How long is Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad good for

A pasta salad should never be kept out on the counter for too long. Being a mayonnaise-based food it needs to be kept cold. So after you’re done feeding your crowd make sure you put it away. Generally speaking, any pasta salad should be good in the refrigerator for about a week, as long as it is covered and stored properly.

Mayonnaise alternatives for Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Not really but I do have an Italian pasta salad recipe that you could make instead. It’s light and absolutely delicious!!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad add-ins

A simple way to change bacon ranch pasta salad from a side dish to the main course is simply to add a protein. Leftover roasted chicken is a great option for this because it doesn’t require more cooking but will add great flavor. But you can absolutely go all out and use your imagination here. 

Other ideas might be to add veggies like green peas, carrots, broccoli. Think of it this way, if you’d be willing to dip it in ranch, you can absolutely add it to this recipe.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad with chicken

To add chicken to your bacon ranch pasta salad you can bake, boil, or use roasted chicken leftovers. Cut them into bite-size pieces, or shred it and mix it in with all your other ingredients. Adding chicken to your recipe will quickly transform it from a side dish to the star of the show.

How to make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Print

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon ranch pasta salad, pasta salad

Ingredients

  • 10 oz Bow tie pasta dry
  • 1 c Cheddar cheese shredded
  • 6 slices Bacon cooked crisp, crumbled
  • 1-2 Green onions sliced
  • 1/2 c Buttermilk ranch dressing

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the al dente package directions.

  2. Drain pasta and cool it down with cold water.

  3. Transfer cooled pasta to a large bowl.

  4. Add the cheddar, green onions, and ranch dressing. See notes below

  5. Fold ingredients together gently as to not tear the pasta

  6. Refrigerate salad covered for approximately one hour before serving.

  7. Just before serving, fold in crumbled bacon. See notes below

Recipe Notes

  • When adding the ranch, start with 1/2 c. If you find you like a creamier salad as more as you go, in small increments.
  • Waiting to add the crumbled bacon at the end ensures that the bacon will hold its crispiness, and not get soft while sitting in the salad ingredients.
ARE YOU A FARMHOUSE FAN?
Get instant access to this free guide to The Best Sources for a Farmhouse Style Home on a Budget!
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
_____________

Filed Under: misc., recipes, sides, Uncategorized Tagged With: bacon ranch, bacon ranch pasta salad, pasta dishes, pasta salad, side disses

About Gina Luker

Gina Luker is a writer, photographer and lover of all things quirky. She's usually found with a drill in one hand and a cocktail in the other while blogging along the way. She's addicted to coffee, polka dots, rock stars, Instagram, and everything aqua.

« The Best Italian Margarita You’ve Ever Tasted
The 12 Best Farmhouse Style Armchairs for Under $300 »
become a blogger banner

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Gina Luker

Privacy Policy & Disclosure Statement

Searching For Something?

The Shabby Creek Cottage is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

[instagram-feed]

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 The Shabby Creek Cottage Log in

ARE YOU A FARMHOUSE FAN?
Get instant access to this free guide to The Best Sources for a Farmhouse Style Home on a Budget!
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
_____________