Description
Creamy chicken ranch pasta salad delivers a delightful blend of hearty ingredients and zesty ranch dressing. Cool summer gatherings welcome this simple yet satisfying dish you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 2 cups chicken (cooked and shredded)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) sour cream
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) chives (chopped)
Seasoning:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling water for 8-10 minutes until al dente, then immediately rinse with cold water to halt cooking process and prevent sticking.
- Whisk together creamy dressing ingredients, creating a smooth and tangy base that will coat the pasta and other components.
- Dice chicken and crisp bacon into bite-sized pieces, ensuring uniform texture throughout the salad.
- Slice celery and cherry tomatoes into consistent, small chunks to distribute flavor evenly.
- Gently fold pasta, chicken, bacon, celery, black olives, and cherry tomatoes into the prepared dressing, ensuring each ingredient is thoroughly coated.
- Refrigerate the pasta salad for minimum 60 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and dressing to absorb into ingredients.
- Before serving, give the salad a quick stir to redistribute the dressing and re-coat the ingredients for maximum flavor impact.
Notes
- Swap mayo for Greek yogurt to lighten up this creamy pasta salad and boost protein content.
- Grill or roast chicken instead of using pre-cooked for deeper, more robust flavor profiles.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make this dish friendly for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Enhance crunch by adding toasted sunflower seeds or chopped almonds for extra texture and nutrition.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 260 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg