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–+ servings

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Tender pasta, juicy chicken, crispy bacon and sharp cheddar tossed in a creamy homemade Duke’s buttermilk ranch dressing. The game day MVP.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz fusilli, rotini, cavatappi, or bowtie pasta
  • 3 cups cooked chicken chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic powder to season chicken
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil for cooking chicken
  • 6–8 slices bacon cooked very crisp and chopped
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar shredded
  • 1 green bell pepper finely diced
  • 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
  • 1/2 cup green onion sliced
  • 1/2 red onion finely diced
Duke’s Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
  • 3/4 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 packet ranch seasoning powder
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk and 1 tbsp more as needed to thin out your dressing
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method
 

  1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 5–7 minutes per side depending on thickness. Let rest for 5 minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Cook the pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and let cool completely.
  3. Whisk together the Duke’s, sour cream, ranch seasoning, buttermilk, lemon juice, and Dijon.
  4. Add the cooled pasta, chicken, bacon, cheddar, green pepper, tomatoes, and red and green onion to a large bowl.
  5. Pour the dressing over everything and toss until evenly coated. Reserve about 1/4 cup of dressing if you won’t be eating it right away.
  6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Toss again before serving. If the pasta has absorbed too much dressing, loosen it with the reserved ranch.
  8. Top with extra bacon, cheddar, and green onion.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 27gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 734mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 400IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 200mgIron: 1.5mg

Notes

Tip: Save about 1/4 of the bacon and add it right before serving so some stays extra crispy.

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